Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire
by ippus67
Summary: [ON HIATUS until Naruto ends] Konoha has fallen. Desperate to escape, our heroes turned to the sea for refuge. Watch as they struggle to find their place in the New World and take back what they've lost. Alliances are formed, cover ups are unraveled, and the Void Century blurs reality. Team Seven–centric. Strong!Sakura.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** This story will be canon with the Naruto manga up to around chapter 440, where the Yondaime repairs the seal and sends Naruto back to fight with Pein. After this point the story will deviate pretty heavily from the manga.

* * *

**Full Summary: **

Konoha has fallen. In its moment of weakness, Rokudaime Hokage Shimura Danzo took control of the village and ordered the execution of one Uzumaki Naruto, believing the threat of the Kyuubi will die with its jinchuriki. Our heroes escape underground. Three years later, they revolt.

However… despite their preparations, the Konoha rebel army is driven back by the force of an unlikely alliance, and must turn to the seas for refuge. Alone and in unfamiliar territory, our heroes struggle to find their place in the New World, and resolve to one day take back their home. Unfortunately for them, nothing is quite what it seems, and they are all just mere pawns in a much larger game…

The main story takes place in the One Piece world two years after the rebellion. Assuming most of the Rookie Nine/Team Gai are 15/16 when the initial Pein invasion occurred, they would be 18/19 during the rebellion and so 20/21 during the current storyline. The story picks up at the Baratie arc, so Luffy will be 17, most of the others Straw hats will be 19, etc.

* * *

**Sneak Peek:**

_(a very brief excerpt of things to come)_

The Thirteen was everywhere.

Relatively unknown until the recent Battle of Marineford, news of their prowess and rumors of their abilities have now spread far and wide, through all corners of the world… even reaching the ears of those who have been lost in history for nearly a millennium.

No one knew just how many were actually working under this organization. Estimations of their numbers ranged from the leading thirteen to thousands of minions. What the World Government _did _know, however, was that their very established network had infiltrated almost every inch of society, from Marineford to Mariejois to the Revolutionary Army. Its members were spread all over the Grand Line, and their strange techniques made it nigh impossible to pinpoint the imposters in their midst.

Rumors of the organization's mounting influence had circulating for ages. The Elders had their suspicions, of course, but most rumors were not to be trusted. That was their first mistake.

As their correspondent finally made his presence known, the Gorosei took one look at the man and saw the barely concealed anger brimming beneath the surface, threatening to explode. Dangerous mismatched eyes, one red with pinwheel pupils, the other light purple with strange ripple-like patterns, narrowed in warning, and they knew they were in deep shit.

Their ancestors should have never agreed to that man's offer. There was no going back from a deal with the devil, and the now the entire world was about to pay the price for their failure.

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Prologue**_

* * *

"_There is a plot… a plot that aims to enslave every man, woman, and child… and there is nothing we can do to stop it."_

−_The First Council of Kings, 876 years before the Age of Pirates_

* * *

The Konoha of today resembled nothing of its past.

Once known as the most peaceful of the Five Great Hidden Villages, today civil turmoil was rife under the leadership of the Rokudaime Hokage. Laws were absolute under Danzo's militaristic dictatorship, and the man had little tolerance for anything less than perfect obedience.

Ever watchful Root enforcers patrolled the streets, ushering subdued civilians back into their homes for the five pm curfew. What little non-Root shinobi that remained glared hatefully at their lack of freedom, but nevertheless kept their head down, not willing to incur the wraith of their new Hokage.

It was quite depressing, really. Konoha's famous Will of Fire was no more.

Familiar footsteps approached softly from behind, interrupting his thoughts, and the former Akatsuki leader slowly turned to face his sole surviving friend and partner.

"Has it started yet?" he asked, eying the eerie calm of the village below. It was a calm that could only exist before a storm.

Konan nodded, unfolding a map and gesturing to an area near the village outskirts.

"The rebel army has started moving. They should reach the village by sundown."

"Good," Pein responded. "We should be able to grab Uzumaki after Madara's army arrives."

"Are you sure about this?" Konan questioned hesitantly after a slight pause. "Madara's hiding something, but to openly oppose him like this?"

Pein's gaze was thoughtful as he eyed the deceptively peaceful village. From his perch up on the Hokage Mountain, he could see everything that went on in the streets below. More importantly though, he could finally see his destined path clearly. He had Uzumaki Naruto to thank for that.

"We proceed as planned." The Akatsuki leader's voice left no room for argument. "Madara doesn't suspect us yet, and we can use that against him. We'll pretend to bring him Uzumaki, and finish this once and for all."

* * *

Everything had gone to hell in the span of two minutes.

Cursing under her breath, Haruno Sakura, once esteemed medic and the Godaime Hokage's personal protégé, pivoted sharply on her left foot as the sword of a masked Root ANBU made a clean slice across where her head had been seconds ago. Quickly preparing herself as the nin charged at her again, Sakura's mind whirled as she calculated the movements of the enemy. Carefully bringing the exact amount of chakra needed to her fingers, Sakura brought her hand up at the last possible second and barely managed to brush the tip of her fingers across the Root nin's chest, taking the split second opening to inject her lethal chakra into the man's heart.

The nin was dead before he'd even hit the ground.

Not sparing the fallen Root member a second glance, Sakura pushed off the tree branch and continued on her path to the docks without breaking stride. Desperately pumping more chakra into her legs, Sakura willed herself to go faster as her mind furiously tried to process where exactly they had gone wrong. The plan had been flawless, with Sakura and Shikamaru, the two lead strategists, meticulously going through every detail. Preparations had taken two years, and the entire rebel force had trained intensely for this moment. Everything _had_ been going according to plan—that is, until Madara had decided to join the fight alongside Danzo, bringing with him the force of the entire Akatsuki... by the hundreds.

Literally.

In addition to having found some twisted way to clone the bicolored plant-like Akatsuki Sakura vaguely recalled as Zetsu, it seemed Madara had also gotten a hold of Orochimaru's Impure World Resurrection technique. Four of Konoha's past five Hokages, including her own shishou, have been summoned, along with numerous elite nin from all five hidden villages. It was madness beyond Sakura's worst nightmares.

Body weighted down by remnants of poison and chakra running dangerously low after being forced to fight the revived Akasuna no Sasori for the second time, the pink-haired medic nin knew she was at her limit. _I can't keep up this pace much longer_, thought Sakura grimly, _and I definitely don't have enough chakra left to fight off another S-class opponent. That was my last soldier pill. And Ino, Chouji... I can't believe I just left them to—_

_No._ The medic nin angrily blinked her tears back. _Don't go there. Don't talk as if they're already dead. What's done is done. Get your ass to the docks so their sacrifice wouldn't be in vain._

It had been two years since Akatsuki's initial attack on Konoha, and while Naruto had managed to defeat its leader Pein, Danzo had chosen to strike in Konoha's moment of weakness, proclaiming himself Hokage and beginning his reign of terror. Tsunade, Sakura's mentor and surrogate mother since her parents had been killed in an ambush several years back, had been brutally murdered while still unconscious. It was an incredibly cowardly thing to do, for Sakura had no doubt neither Danzo nor any of his lackeys could have even presented a challenge had her shishou been in prime condition.

Danzo's first orders as Hokage had been the execution of Uzumaki Naruto, jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi and Sakura's closest friend. Despite the fact that the very man he'd condemned to death had just saved the entire village from Pein's attack, Danzo and the council stubbornly claimed that Naruto, as host to the Kyuubi, was a danger to the village and therefore needed to die, for with his death the threat of the nine-tails will be removed forever. Immediately, an underground resistance had been established with Naruto at the forefront of the movement. Most of the Konoha Twelve and their senseis had gone AWOL as well, though several of Konoha's most prominent clans, including the Hyuugas, had decided to stay by Danzo in order to maintain their positions of power. However, given that the majority of Konoha's elite nin had fled underground and joined the rebel force, what they lacked in numbers they made up for in skill. The operation _should_ have went off without a hitch. By all counts, Danzo _should_ have died today.

Yet the one variable they didn't factor in, the single instigator of all this chaos and the original mastermind behind Konoha's downfall, had single-handedly turned their plans to ash and flipped Sakura's world upside down. _Uchiha Madara_, _you bastard_, thought Sakura in pure fury, fisting her hands hard enough to draw blood, _isn't it enough that you've already ruined Sasuke-kun and destroyed the village? I'll die before I'll let you take Naruto from me too._

No one had anticipated Danzo's alliance with Madara. Sure, he was a power-hungry militarist old bastard, but as corrupt and primitive as his ways were, everyone believed he had Konoha's best interests (or at least what he _believed_ were Konoha's best interests) at heart. Every order he gave, every mission he assigned, was aimed at propelling Konoha to the top of the shinobi food chain and establishing its status as the most powerful hidden village. _For fuck's sake_, _he ordered Naruto killed just so the Kyuubi wouldn't fall to the Akatsuki's hands,_ seethed Sakura, _so what the hell is he doing getting friendly with the person most eager to bring Konoha to its knees and—_

_There_. Sakura snapped out of her inner tirade upon smelling the salt in the air and seeing the vivid blue of the open ocean at last. _I made it_. _I can't believe I actually made it. Please please _please_ let the others be okay._

The slight shift in the breeze was the only warning she got before a barrage of deadly senbon suddenly came flying at her at a near impossible speed. Gracefully twisting in the air, Sakura watched with narrowed eyes as the senbon embedded itself in the branch where her head had been less than a second ago. _Poison_, she realized as she watched the thick leafy branch slowly disintegrate into nothing, _and a deadly one at that too_. Carefully masking her chakra, Sakura quickly scanned her surroundings and got into a defensive stance, muscles tightly coiled and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

Root. There had to be at least 2 full squads. _Damn. _

Sakura knew she was trapped. She couldn't outrun them all, and she didn't have enough chakra to fend them off. But if she was going to die, she was going to take as many of these treacherous bastards with her as she can.

With a final burst of strength, she slammed her heel into the ground. The small quake that followed ruptured the earth beneath them, throwing the Root nins off balance for a moment. Sakura seized the split second opening and rushed the nearest one, landing a solid uppercut to his throat, breaking his neck instantly.

_One down, eleven more to go_. Sakura pressed her lips together in grim determination and watched warily as the nins circled around her like vultures.

There was a sudden, sharp, prickling pain in her leg, and she looked down to see the senbon that they had been throwing since the first attack had finally hit their mark. Head swimming and limbs weighted down with fatigue and poison, Sakura shakily jerked the needles free and pushed herself to her feet by sheer force of will. But it was no use—she'd reached her limit.

Sakura sank to her hands and knees, and eventually collapsed entirely. Her breaths came ragged, her heart hammered in her ears. Maybe it was the numbing, disorienting effects of the poison, but strangely enough she wasn't afraid. She thought fleetingly of her teammates and hoped they had escaped.

The remaining Root agents closed around their fallen target.

_Sasuke-kun... I'm sorry I couldn't help you. And_ _Naruto... _

_Naruto..._ Sakura's tired eyes snapped open as the realization hit her. _Naruto would never forgive me if I gave up._

With a speed she hadn't know she possessed, she drove her fist into the sternum of her nearest attacker, collapsing his chest cavity and crushing his heart. Spinning rapidly, she whirled to confront the others, but found them all dead on the ground, a wickedly sharp kunai embedded deep between each of their eyes. _Who—_

Sakura froze, eyes widening in a mix of shock and fear as she locked eyes with her rescuer. Spinning crimson eyes was the last thing she saw before everything went black.

* * *

It was finally happening.

Decades of preparation, and his plans were finally coming to fruition. Uchiha Madara watched with a satisfied smirk as the transformation slowly took place, consuming anything and everything in its path.

Rays of ephemeral orange shimmered weakly across the darkening sky, before disappearing forever into the distant horizon.

The world had just seen its last sunset.

The darkness diffused gradually into a dark crimson color, occasionally pulsing with rays of intense, vibrant red. The ground took on a dull coppery tint, lakes and plant life following suit. Soon, everything was tinged red.

The only exception was a single silver sliver in the sky. An ominous breeze drifted through the landscape, red clouds slowly shifting to uncover the full circle of the omniscient moon.

Ten black tomoes spun lazily, gradually picking up speed as the illusion was cast.

And the fate of the world was sealed.

* * *

_A week later, in various parts of the Grand Line…_

The world's most unpredictable ninja twitched as he slowly came into consciousness, vaguely registering the presence of hundreds of powerful enemies before mind-numbing pain erupted from his stomach, and he knew no more.

Three thousand miles to the west, in the dark waters of the Florian Triangle, a heavily wounded shinobi sighed as he reluctantly got to his feet, and prepared himself to face the undead that came crawling once more from their graves.

Two thousand miles to the south, a tired trio struggled to maintain their cover, sprouting lie after lie to the Snake Empress despite their limited knowledge of the Outside.

Five hundred miles to the east, two kunochi tugged their hoods lower over their heads, and tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible, after their latest ride got commandeered by pirates specializing in human trafficking.

One thousand miles to the north, Cipher Pol's eighth division was in an uproar as their newest recruit single-handedly defeated all five of their strongest officers, without once looking up from her seated position.

Ten thousand miles inland, two teammates listened with identical bewildered expressions as their host told them about the crimes of the World Government, and insisted on inducting them into their forces after having witnessed their skills.

And halfway across the world, a certain pink-haired medic-nin blearily blinked her eyes open, and found herself staring at an entirely different ocean.

* * *

**A/N: **Rewritten to reflect more of the overall plot upfront. Let me know what you think! Your feedback and comments are a huge source of motivation!


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Reworked 9.9.2013.

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Chapter 1: Enter Haruno Sakura  
**_

* * *

_Two years later, East Blue._

A heavily drenched stranger sighed heavily as she dropped unceremoniously into a seat by the open bar of the famed Baratie Restaurant. Carefully setting her twin tantos against the counter, she gestured to the unruly bartender and softly ordered, "The strongest sake you have, please."

"Of course, coming right up!" yelled the brutish-looking man behind the bar as he enthusiastically shoved a bottle the size of a small barrel under the stranger's nose. "I'm Pati, pleased to be at your service! After all, customers are our gods! We must treat them with love, respect, and kindness!"

Eyeing 'Pati' with a slightly disturbed glance, Haruno Sakura gratefully took a sip of her sake and leaned back with a disappointed sigh.

Another false lead. Another journey wasted.

She was beginning to lose hope.

It had been two years since the failed rebellion, two years since she found herself in this strange, strange world beyond the seas. Sakura had heard rumors of the Outside during her time at the Hokage's office, but this place was nothing like the tales her shishou had spoken of. Forcing back the pang in her chest before it got too unbearable, Sakura wondered for the umpteenth time if her comrades were still alive. _No_, she thought firmly, _I won't believe they're gone until I see their bodies. One day, I'll find my way back and we'll get our revenge._

Sakura remembered the ambush as clearly as if it were yesterday. She could still smell the scent of burning flesh, taste the metallic tang of blood, and feel the deadly tension in the air as vividly as she could taste the bittersweet sake on her tongue now. How many had they lost... how many of her friends had they taken? Kakashi-sensei, Tsunade-shishou, Ino, Chouji, Lee...

And what of her teammates? Her family, her boys, her _life_? The last time she saw Naruto had been at what little remained of their headquarters after Deidara's maniacal attack. The full force of the revived Akatsuki had been unleashed, and Naruto had been yelling for them to retreat and rendezvous at the docks as he furiously tried to fend off the combined forces of Hoshikage Kisame, Deidara, and the zombie duo whose names Sakura couldn't remember. She herself had been busy fighting for her life against an unkillable Sasori hell-bent on revenge. And Sai... Sai had volunteered for the most critical mission of all_—_ the assassination of the Rokudaime Hokage. Sakura had no idea if he'd succeeded, or if he was even still alive.

"Are you okay, miss?" Pati asked with concern. He had never seen such a haunted look in anyone's eyes, let alone one so young, and a lady no less.

Sakura blinked, and only then realized the wetness welling up in her eyes. Blinking her tears back furiously, she flashed a small fake smile in the bartender's general direction and said lifelessly, "Thank you for your concern, but I'm perfectly fine."

_You're still so weak, _a voice that sounded suspiciously like Sasuke's drawled in her mind, taunting her. _After all this time, you still can't control your emotions. You're a disgrace to the shinobi name._

Knuckles turning white, Sakura carefully released her hold on the cup before her monstrous strength accidentally crushed it to dust. It was laughable, really, how much hold he still had over her. She hadn't seen him since their last encounter after the Kage's Summit, nearly five years ago, when he had been all too willing to take advantage of her brief moment of hesitation and send her spiraling to her death. If Naruto hadn't gotten to her in time... Sakura closed her eyes. _Maybe it would have been better if I did die back then. At least now I wouldn't be stuck in who-knows-where with so much blood staining my hands. _

Sakura could remember only bits and pieces of her last moments in the outskirts of Konoha. She had been cornered by a full platoon of Root ANBU after she had finally defeated Sasori for the second time. By some miracle, she had managed to take down three of them before she had run out of chakra. _There were ten left_, Sakura recalled, eyebrows furrowed together, deep in concentration. _I crushed the sternum of the one with the cat mask. The other nine were dead, killed__—_ but by who? Squeezing her eyes shut in frustration, Sakura fisted her hands on the steel counter, unknowingly leaving inch-deep gashes where her fingers had been. _Why the hell can't I remember anything after?_

When she'd woken up, she had been in the care of an elderly couple on some island called Loguetown. They had gladly taught her the basic history and geography of the land after she had claimed amnesia as the source of her confusion. They also mentioned something about a Great Age of Pirates, the Grand Line, One Piece and some kind of World Government. For a while, the rose-haired medic seriously considered the idea that she had been royally screwed by one of Madara's time–space kinjutsus. Not only did shinobi not _exist_ in this world, no one had even heard of the hidden villages or the elemental countries. These people had no understanding of chakra, and instead fought with some 'Devil Fruit' that apparently granted them superhuman abilities in exchange for the ability to swim. This was _insane_, even by shinobi standards.

For the past two years, Sakura had drifted from island to island and made a name for herself as the most fearsome mercenary in East Blue. Careful to keep her identity a secret and her skills hidden, Sakura was known to the world only as the Reaper, a contradictory figure shrouded in mystery. She'd first started taking missions at Loguetown's mercenary underground just as a way to get by, but after curing a nobleman of a terminal and apparently uncurable disease, tales of her medical prowess had spread far and wide. Not long after, she was getting all sorts of requests, and not all as innocent as simple healing. There was an unmet demand, not surprisingly, for untraceable assassinations, most of which involving high-profile, grievously corrupt politicians and nobleman. More so than the generous funds these high profile assassinations provided, Sakura needed access to the social elite's information network and records. And so, having done her research on her targets' corrupt ways, the pink-haired medic had gladly obliged a number of these requests. It was simple for her to slip in undetected and inject a lethal dose of her chakra to stop the target's heart, and her proficiency for emulating natural deaths soon earned her quite a bit of notoriety in the shadier parts of the underground.

Yet while her work had earned her quite a bit of fame and fortune, she was no closer to finding a way home than when she first woke up in this damn ocean. The corrupt noblemen and politicians she had targeted had no shortage of incriminating skeletons in their closet, but her endeavors had yielded no results on the location of the Elemental Nations. _Maybe I should head off to the Grand Line,_ Sakura mused, a thoughtful look crossing her face as she entertained the idea. _Clearly there's nothing more here in East Blue. The files I took from the marine bases did say that their headquarters was someplace called Marineford, deep in the second half of the Grand Line, and if we were to assume that's where they keep their top classified information... plus everyone does say the Grand Line is the harshest of the seas, so..._

Sakura lifted her head and turned to the bartender.

"Say, Pati-san, have you ever been to the Grand Line?"

* * *

Luffy was bored. And hungry. He was bored almost as much as he was hungry. There was simply nothing for him to do in the kitchen—or rather, Luffy winced, nothing he could do without getting into more trouble. _Ah... I want to hurry and get the hell out of here, _Luffy whined in his head,_ I have to become the pirate king and find One Piece! But not before I get some meat... yes, meat is good.. mhmm, meaaatttttt..._

Drooling slightly, Luffy was abruptly knocked out of his daydream as one of the chefs roughly thrust a large crate of what looked like alcohol into his lap.

"Oi, Chore Boy, bring this to Pati in the bar... Think you can handle that? And _try_ not to break anything, or you'll be paying for it."

Huffing indignantly, Luffy yelled over his shoulder as he quickly stood up with the crate in his hands, breaking several bottles and spilling half its contents in the process, "Of course I can handle it! I'm going to become the future Pirate King after all! Psh, stupid cook..."

Muttering under his breath as he made his way down to the bar, Luffy abruptly stopped and snapped his head up as his ears automatically zoned in on the mention of his dream.

"—to the Grand Line?"

_Grand Line? There's someone here who's been to the Grand Line? Cool! _

Throwing the crate aside and breaking the remainder of the alcohol bottles inside, Luffy took no notice, excitedly heading towards the bar and pushing Pati out of his way as he started to blabber rapidly. "Ne, ne, you've been to the Grand Line? What's it like? Do you have a crew? Wanna join mine? I'm going to become the next Pirate King!"

"How dare you push me, Chore Boy?" roared Pati as he picked Luffy up by the scruff of his collar and started to drag him away. "And interrupt my conversation with a precious customer, no less?"

"Let me go!" Luffy kicked Pati in the shins. "I want to talk to nee-chan! She likes me better, anyway!"

"Why you little—"

"Anyway nee-chan, you've been to the Grand Line, right? Did you meet Shanks? Or maybe my brother Ace? Oh! Did you find anything about One Piece? What's it like? I bet it's awesome, isn't it? I—"

Sakura blinked as she watched the obnoxiously loud kid easily pushed the much bigger Pati-san to the back and continued to ramble on. Shutting her eyes in mock irritation, she couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips as she lightly flicked the kid on the head. She watched amusedly as he flew through several walls. The kid was like a carbon copy of Naruto when he was twelve.

Rubbing her temples slightly but still smiling in amusement, Sakura lightly apologized, "Sorry, you were giving me a headache." Almost as an afterthought, she added, "Don't call me nee-chan."

Finishing the last of her drink and throwing a large bag of gold coins on the counter, Sakura strapped on her twin tantōs and walked out without a backward glance.

"Thanks for the sake, Pati-san. Keep the change."

* * *

Pati could only stare as the stranger walked away, her cloak flapping behind her dramatically. Red embroidered cherry blossoms stood out starkly against the black fabric. For a moment there, he could almost swear he saw a few strands of pink as the wind swayed her hood back slightly. But there's no way such a scary woman could have _pink_ hair, right?

Turning his attention to the bag on the counter and ignoring the straw hat chore boy who still lay unconscious on the floor, Pati opened the bag and gasped in disbelief as he saw the contents inside.

Gold. Pure gold. Enough to perhaps buy the entire Baratie Restaurant. Pati's eyes widened as a thought suddenly hit him.

Cherry blossoms. Monstrous strength. Twin tantos with ornamental scrolls wrapped around the handle. More wealth than you could imagine.

There was only one person who matched that description.

Pati shuddered involuntarily as the realization sunk in.

The Reaper, the deadliest mercenary in the East Blue, rumored to be able to kill with a mere brush of her hand and crush mountains with a mere flick of her finger, had just been in Baratie.

* * *

Rubbing his abused head as an explosion of stars appeared in front of his eyes, Luffy shook off his dizziness and opened his mouth to yell some more—only to find himself staring at the giant hole he had made in the ceiling.

"Oi, Pati, where's nee-chan? She's scary strong! I want to ask her to join my crew!"

Upon hearing no answer, Luffy slowly sat up, wincing as his head pounded in pain. Blinking wearily, he stared in wonder as he caught sight of several _more_ Luffy-shaped holes in the walls. _Nooo_, thought Luffy, _the owner's probably going to make me work another year to pay for this! Damn you, scary nee-chan!_

Gingerly getting to his feet, Luffy gradually made his way back to the bar, only to find Pati staring with a mixture of fear and disbelief at the bag in his hands. Wondering what could make Pati, the man who didn't even blink upon hearing the name of East Blue's most wanted pirate, quiver in fear, Luffy grabbed the bag from the burly cook's hands and peered inside. Eyes widening, he exclaimed, "Woah! Nee-chan sure is loaded! That's awesome! I'm so getting her to join my crew!"

Pati snapped out of his stupor. Grabbing the gold out of Luffy's hands, he turned to the kid sharply and looked him seriously in the eye for the first time.

"Look kid, I don't know whether you're serious about becoming the pirate king or what, but let me give you a piece of advice. Stay away from that woman."

"No!" Luffy yelled in protest. "Nee-chan is really strong and cool! I want her on my crew! And she's been to the Grand Line!"

Pati sighed at the kid's stubbornness. "You have no idea who she is, do you? Plus, I don't think she's actually been to the Grand Line—she was asking _me_ if _I_ knew anything about the Grand Line, so she must be just planning on going there herself."

"That's even better! All the more reason for her to join my crew! We can sail the Grand Line together!"

"That's not the point!" This kid just didn't get it, did he? "She's not someone you'd want to associate with. With her in your crew, the Marines will be on you like a pack of dogs. Plus you never know when she'll turn against you and slit your throat in your sleep or something."

Luffy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Why was the crazy cook saying something so horrible about someone he had just met? "What are you saying, Pati? You don't even know her!"

Pati blinked. Oh wait, he hadn't told Luffy about the girl's identity yet, had he? No wonder he still wanted her on his crew!

Convinced that the kid would abandon this ridiculous idea once he learned the truth about that woman, he paused dramatically and turned an overly-grievous face to Luffy. "That, kid, was _the_ _Reaper_."

As if that explained everything, Pati nodded to himself satisfactorily and turned back to stocking the bar. He nearly dropped a bottle when he heard the kid's next sentence.

"The Reaper? What kind of lame name is that?" Luffy frowned disapprovingly. "Nee-chan's parents sure have weird taste."

Shocked, Pati turned to Luffy with wide eyes. "You... You don't know about the Reaper? How could you _not_ _know_ about _the Reaper_?"

Luffy huffed in annoyance. "Of course I know the Reaper! We met her just a few minutes ago! Jeez, how thick can you get?"

Pati stared incredulously at the kid. "I... I don't even know how you survived this long with such a puny brain. But since you obviously have no idea what you're about to get yourself into, I'll be nice and tell you. I'm only going to say this once, so you better pay close attention kid.

The Reaper is just a nickname the Marines gave her. No one knows her real name. Or face, for that matter. Her kills are always clean, silent, and without evidence. It would be impossible to trace any of the murders back to her if she didn't mark her targets with her signature."

"Wait, wait—" Luffy interrupted, "so nee-chan is a mercenary? No wonder she's so loaded! But I still don't see why I can't have her on my crew—I mean, Zoro was a pirate hunter, so he's killed before, but he's still a good person!"

Pati whacked Luffy up on the head. "I told you not to interrupt, brat! Where was I? Ah yes—

"As I was saying, the Reaper always marks her targets with a single, blood-stained flower petal. No one knows what significance that bears to her identity, but with her kills, no one is ever aware of her presence. She once murdered a high ranking World Government official with over 100 guards in the same room. Don't ask me how; the guards weren't even aware their master was dead until the morning after. The scary thing about her isn't her strength—though that in itself is also scary as hell—it's her ability to be completely silent and invisible and kill with only a single touch, leaving the victim's body seemingly unharmed.

"That's not all. Rumor has it that she's able to crush mountains with a mere flick of her finger and create mini–earthquakes with a mere stomp of her feet. I don't think she was even _trying_ to hurt you when she sent you flying back just now. That's how scary her monstrous strength is."

Watching Luffy's eyes widen to the size of saucers in excitement, Pati figured he'd better switch tactics before the idiot got even more ridiculous ideas in that empty head of his. Clearly, scaring him into reconsidering wasn't going to work. Pati sighed, and continued.

"But the deadliest thing about her, the reason why even Marine captains tiptoe around her, is because she swears allegiance to no one. She's loyal only to the highest bidder. She'll turn against you in the blink of an eye if someone else offers her a higher reward. The Reaper operates only on her own sense of honor, which is why no pirate ship dares approach her and why the Marines gave up trying to recruit her into their ranks ages ago. I heard they even offered her the position of commodore but she turned them down without even considering the notion."

Luffy frowned. The Reaper was undeniably cool, but also kind of scary. "But those are just rumors, right? Nee-chan doesn't seem like a bad person."

A thoughtful look crossed Pati's face. "Well," he drawled, "before she'd taken on all those assassinations, she was just known as the Doctor. There were stories that she could cure any disease, heal any wound. I think I heard once that she saved an entire island from a deadly plague without asking for anything in return. Plus there's also the rumor that the Reaper never takes on any assassinations concerning common citizens. All her kills were either pirates, politicians, or criminals, so..."

"Ha! I knew it!" Luffy interrupted with a triumphant look on his face. "Nee-chan's a good person! Yosh, I've decided! Nee-chan's going to join my crew!"

Pati sighed for the umpteenth time. "Whatever, kid, it's your funeral." Turning back to the bar, he suddenly remembered something.

"Oi, Chore Boy, didn't I send you to get that latest shipment of 1846 vintage Romanee Conti?"

Luffy's eyes widened as he remembered the crate sitting forgotten at the top of the stairs. "Oh yeah! Sorry, I'll go get it right away!"

"Wh-what..." Pati could only stare helplessly at the crate of broken bottles the straw hat boy presented him. "You... you idiot! That was the last crate of our finest red wine!"

* * *

Captain Smoker drummed his fingers impatiently on the marble countertop. His informant was late.

By three hours. Three full fucking hours.

_...She is so going to die when the mission's over._

Gritting his teeth in irritation, Smoker gestured to the bartender and ordered another scotch on rocks. How much longer was she going to make him wait? Puffing on his cigars in annoyance, he finished the last of his scotch and leaned back to survey the room.

The Halcyon was dusky in mid-afternoon and business was slow. This was normal, since the place only functioned as a bar on the surface. A mid-sized establishment located on the shadier side of Loguetown, The Halcyon was the center for the mercenary underground. This was where free agents came to find jobs, buy and sell information, and learn about what was happening on the seas. Even marines would sometime come in looking for information as a last resort, but they were usually discreet and never caused trouble.

This was where _she_ always met her clients.

The place was empty save for a middle–aged couple who sat at one of the tables towards the back. Smoker didn't recognize them, which didn't surprise him. Almost no one hung around here regularly; people came in, conducted their business, and left. The Reaper was one of the rare exceptions.

"Here's your scotch, sir."

Smoker accepted the drink with a grunt of thanks and, leaning back, exhaled slowly as he closed his eyes and tried to push back his irritation.

If that bitch didn't show up within ten minutes, he was going to leave, their deal be damned.

He opened his eyes and, for the first time, noticed the shadow sitting casually on the ceiling beams, munching silently on a stick of dango and staring straight at him with amused green eyes.

..._Oh hell no._

Grey met emerald and before Smoker could even think about coming up to give her a piece of his mind, the figure smirked and disappeared in a flash of pink.

"Took you long enough to notice," Sakura taunted, casually easing herself into the chair next to the enraged marine captain. "Your powers of observation astound me, as usual."

Smoker growled, but forced his grip to relax. "You're late. By _three_ hours. Give me one reason why I shouldn't arrest you here and now."

"Because, Smoker-san," Sakura drawled, thoroughly enjoying this, "I was here the whole time. I just wanted to see how long you were willing to wait." Snapping her fingers at the bartender, she ordered a black velvet for herself and continued, "I must say, I'm pleasantly surprised. I myself would have drawn the last straw at two hours. I never knew you were such a gentleman, Smoker-san."

The pink-haired woman had the nerve to _smile_ at him.

"Cut the crap, Pinkie. Where is he?"

Sakura's cheeky smiled soured at the nickname. "I'll overlook it this time," she warned, "but call me Pinkie again, and I'll rip out your guts and sell them as necklaces." Taking a dainty sip of her black velvet, she ignored the disturbed look Smoker gave her and answered in all seriousness, "He's in the northern regions, last seen approaching a floating restaurant called Baratie. They have really good sake, by the way."

"And Hawkeyes?"

"Still no signs. You were right though—Krieg ran into him a week into the Grand Line and lost his entire fleet. Any ideas for motive?"

Smoker thought back to what little he knew about the man. Dracule "Hawkeyes" Mihawk was a mystery even to the marines, but the white haired captain seriously couldn't think of any reason why the Shichibukai would target Krieg. It was not like he was much of a threat.

Shrugging slightly, Smoker turned to the pink-haired mercenary—whose real name he _still_ didn't know—and gave her his final orders. "This is the last part of your mission. After this is finished, our deal is over and I won't hesitate to arrest you on sight. Don't screw it up."

Sakura raised an elegant brow in response. "And my payment?"

"I'll get the information. You know where to find me."

"Fine. What do you want me to do?"

Smoker stared the deadly mercenary in the eyes.

"When Hawkeye comes for Krieg again, I want you to kill him."

* * *

**A/N: **A few things to clarify before you read any further...

Sakura will be the semi-main Naruto–verse character in this story. Every One Piece/Naruto crossover I've read up until now has featured Naruto as the main character, and as much as I like Naruto, I want to try something a little bit different. I'm a huge fan of the original Team Seven, so this fic is going to have Strong!Sakura. The idea isn't to make Sakura into an invincible Mary–Sue; it's to write her as what she _should_ have been if she got the same treatment/training as her teammates. She won't have a disproportion amount of screentime, but if you dislike her character, this fic might not be for you.

Naruto and Sasuke, along with a few selected others of the Konoha 12, will be gradually introduced into the story. The story will become Team Seven–centric (for the Naruto–aspect of the crossover anyway) eventually, probably somewhere around the Whitebeard War arc, maybe sooner.

The Naruto characters will not simply 'tag along' with the Straw hats. I will follow the OP manga somewhat closely at first, but it will deviate pretty significantly as the Naruto–aspect of the plot develops. Things will change. A lot.

Edits: After several constructive reviews, I've decided to elaborate on Sakura's depiction as a mercenary. Hopefully this makes her less ooc and her goals clearer. Being a healer/doctor-for-hire would make more sense for her character, but it won't help her accomplish her objectives, which are to find information regarding the Elemental Nations and their coordinates. Sakura may be a medic, but she's still a shinobi. And a true shinobi would have no qualms taking assassination missions involving corrupt politicians and nobleman. I've debated on changing the Reaper codename, but ultimately decided against it because all the alternatives I could think of containing 'doctor' or 'healer' sounded lame.

This is my first story, so please remember to review! All feedback is welcome!


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed! To those who have me on fav/alert, please leave a comment! :)

Reworked 9.9.2013

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Chapter 2: The First Clash  
**_

* * *

Business at Baratie was blooming as usual, despite the incidents with Marine Lieutenant Fullbody and the Krieg pirate Gin a few days back. Sakura's stomach growled hungrily as she shrugged off her cloak and slumped into an empty chair near the front of the restaurant. Absentmindedly calling the waiter over to order, Sakura stretched her overworked muscles and sighed in contentment as each joint popped into place.

She had just run the entire distance from Loguetown to Baratie. Travelling nonstop for two days at breakneck speed was hard enough on land, but having to constantly maintain the flow of chakra to make the journey across rough seawater was damn near impossible. Even with her perfect chakra control, Sakura was barely able to make it.

"I really should just get a ship," Sakura winced as she sent a stream of healing chakra to sooth her strained leg muscles. "I won't be able to run across the Grand Line, anyway. Maybe I'll snatch one off Smoker the next time I see him..."

Sakura frowned as she thought back to her last conversation with the white haired marine captain.

_"When Hawkeyes comes for Krieg again, I want you to kill him."_

While she usually didn't care for her clients' motives, something just didn't add up here.

_"The Shichibukai as a whole is an unstable group full of people who are no better than mere pirates. They have no sense of justice and wreak havoc everywhere they go, yet their crimes are excused without reprimand. Because they're formally allied with the World Government, the marines are powerless to do anything."_

Sakura had understood the implications immediately.

_"Which is why only a neutral third party like you can do this without disrupting the political balance."_

His explanation made sense. It was perfectly logical. It was precisely the kind of political assassinations shinobi were hired for back home. Yet for some reason, Sakura couldn't seem to shake off the feeling that she was being played.

_I'll think about it more after I get some food_, Sakura thought to herself, sending one last burst of healing chakra to her strained muscles. Once satisfied that her legs no longer felt like they were going to fall off, Sakura turned to survey the restaurant. The cook/bartender she had talked to last time, Pati, was nowhere to be found. Instead, a blonde man in his twenties was pouring wine to a girl with shoulder-length orange hair two tables over. To the girl's left sat a tan, skinny teen with dark curly hair and an abnormally long nose, and to her right sat a green-haired young man with three swords who was currently fighting with a black-haired boy wearing an all-too-familiar straw hat.

Sakura grinned.

She might as well kill some time while she waited for her food.

* * *

"Blah!" Luffy grabbed dramatically at his tongue as he furiously tried to scrub away the taste of his own snot water. "Zoro! I'm going to kill you! Just wait—"

"Having fun there, kid?"

Luffy paused in his thrashing long enough to lift his head and locate the source of the somewhat familiar voice. He greeted happily, "Nee-chan!"

"Nee-chan?" Nami eyed the stranger curiously. She was pretty in a non-traditional, exotic kind of way. Pale pink hair held up in a messy yet sophisticated updo framed a heart-shaped face while piercing sea-foam emerald green eyes glinted in amusement behind side-swept bangs. Dressed casually in cuffed short shorts and a red halter top with a white circle on the back, she radiated an aura of confidence and grace. She was in good shape, with a womanly hourglass figure, long legs, and thin, muscled arms. Several pouches were strapped to her right leg and hips, while twin tantos wrapped in curious scroll-like wrappings hung from her back. Black knee-length combat boots completed the look.

Only one thought ran through Nami's mind— she couldn't possibly be related to Luffy.

"Ne, Luffy, how do you know her?" the navigator asked curiously.

"She's going to join our crew!" Luffy piped up, not really answering Nami's question.

Sakura gave him a blank look. "What?"

"Nee-chan wants to go to the Grand Line, right? Well we're going there too and you're really cool and awesome so you're going to join our crew and we can go to the Grand Line together!" Luffy exclaimed happily. It made perfect sense to him.

Before Sakura could retort, Usopp cut in. "Wait, Luffy, why do you keep calling her nee-chan? You guys aren't related, are you?"

"Nope!" Luffy answered with his ever-present grin. "I call her nee-chan because nee-chan never told me her name!"

Zoro snorted at his captain's stupidity. Luffy growled at him before deciding that he would get his revenge later.

Turning to Sakura, Luffy extended his hand and introduced himself formally, "Hi! I'm Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm going to become the next Pirate King!"

"I'm Nami." The orange–haired girl smiled.

"I'm Usopp! And I'm the real captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, not this idiot here! Ha ha ha ha—"

Nami bopped Usopp up on the head.

"Zoro." The last member of Luffy's crew grunted, looking more interested in the swords on her back than Sakura herself.

"And this here is Sanji!" Luffy pulled the blonde waiter over from a nearby table where he was flirting with a dark–haired woman. "He's going to be our new cook!"

_What a crazy crew_, Sakura thought to herself as 'Sanji' took one look at her and started to wax poetry about his undying love for her. _They're all insane._

"Oh fair maiden," Sanji was saying, kneeling down on one knee with a rose that he'd managed to pull from thin air in one hand and the other pressed dramatically over his heart, "There must be something wrong with my eyes, I can't take them off you. Would you care to grace me with your name?"

"No." Sakura answered blankly, unsure of how to respond to all the crazy. "And I'm not going to join your crew, Luffy." Cracking her knuckles slightly, she added, "And _stop_ calling me nee-chan."

"No!" Luffy insisted stubbornly, "I refuse your refusal to join my crew! And I'm going to keep calling you nee-chan until you tell us your name!"

Sakura sighed and resisted the urge to punch the kid again. He was really getting on her nerves. Turning instead to the blonde chef who still held hearts in his eyes, Sakura asked with a fake smile, "Sanji-san, I'm afraid I'm quite tired from my travels. Would it be possible for me to stay on-board for a few days?"

"Of course, my fair lady!" Sanji beamed, eager to please. "Anything for you! I'll go prepare our most luxurious room and send up a five-course meal right away! And as a tribute to your beauty, it's all on the house!"

_Yup_, thought Sakura, _they're definitely all crazy idiots._

* * *

As Sanji led the pink-haired woman to her room, Nami turned to her reckless captain and asked, "Oi, Luffy, do you know anything _at all_ about this woman?"

Luffy scrunched his face in thought. What had Pati told him last time?

"Don't think too hard," Zoro snickered, "or you might knock yourself out."

"Shut up Zoro!" Luffy shouted, "Oh yeah! I remember now! Pati said that nee-chan's nickname is the Reaper and that she can punch through mountains and kill people with a single touch and stuff! She flicked me last time and I flew through three walls! Isn't that awesome?"

Nami paled. _That_ was the Reaper? As in the deadliest mercenary in the East Blue? "You idiot," she hissed to Luffy, careful to keep her voice down lest _she_ overheard and decided to kill them for talking about her behind her back or something. "What the hell were you thinking, inviting a killer like that onto our ship? She'll kill us all!"

Usopp nodded furiously in agreement. He wasn't nearly as smart and informed as Nami, but even he's heard tales of the Reaper. He shuddered at the thought of having someone like that on the ship.

"You guys are just being paranoid!" Luffy argued, "nee-chan's not a bad person! They say she used to be an incredible doctor! Plus Zoro used to be a pirate hunter, but he's not a bloodthirsty monster or anything!"

"Yeah, but pirate hunters bring pirates in _alive_!" Usopp retorted. "The Reaper kills for a living!"

Zoro smirked. "Not always." He took a sip of his sake and watched with amusement as Nami and Usopp slowly inched away.

"The point is," Nami countered, determined to beat some sense into her airheaded captain, "the Reaper isn't someone who swears allegiance to anyone. Not pirates, not marines, sometimes not even her clients. Even if she does agree to join us for some reason, she can't be trusted."

"I don't care!" Luffy insisted, "nee-chan's joining our crew! We're not leaving without her!" Catching sight of the blonde cook coming back down the stairs, he added with determination, "Or Sanji!"

* * *

Sakura sighed blissfully as the hot water ran over her body and washed the fatigue away along with the grim. Sanji hadn't been kidding when he said that this was their best room. The bathroom alone was easily the size of her old apartment back in Konoha and came equipped with a huge Jacuzzi hot tub and sixteen different scented soaps. She'd have to thank the flirty womanizer the next time she saw him.

Reluctantly turning off the water, Sakura grabbed a towel and quickly dried herself. Dressed in her underwear, she stood in front of the gigantic mirror and wondered how much she had changed. She didn't remember exactly what she'd look like before the rebellion, but she knew it wasn't this. Her eyes definitely hadn't been this sharp, this serious. She was only recently twenty, but she had lost the softness of her youth. Inside and out.

Her eyes fell to the thin, jagged scar across her abdomen, with an identical matching exit wound on her back. She'd kept it on purpose, to always remind her of what had been done to her, of what she had lost. What every citizen of Konoha had lost. What they would find a way to take back again.

Sakura combed through her long, pink hair and pulled it up into a messy updo, masterfully securing the strands with senbon. The brightness of the color had faded to a soft, pale pink. She had no reason to disguise the color; here, it seemed that unusual hair colors were the norm, as she herself had caught sight of many women (and the occasional man) with pale pink hair.

Another thing she liked about this place was that she didn't need civilian clothes to blend in. Sakura dressed in her regular shinobi outfit, a red halter top with the Haruno symbol proudly displayed on the back, and black cuffed shorts. She strapped her weapons back on; a brace of kunai tucked inside the rim of her boot, another at the holster on her leg. Attached to her belt by a special clip was a 9 mm pistol with intricate cherry blossom artworks etched on silver slides. Although guns were far from Sakura's first choice of weapons (they were loud, slow, and caused little damage), she had taken a special liking to her pistol. Equipped with custom-made silencers and designed specifically for target shooting, it was the perfect compliment to her admittedly lacking long-distance arsenal.

Strapping on her twin tantos last, Sakura began to make her way down to the restaurant. She'd become familiar with the standard-issue double-edged blades after years of training with Sai, and those two were her favorites. Having acquired the _Kage Tenjin_ for her 18th birthday from Naruto, it was one of the only reminders she had left of home. Nearing almost twenty inches in length, the blades had a longer reach and more strength than most short swords. Yet the most dangerous part of the weapon laid not in the blades themselves, but in the sealing scrolls that served as makeshift wrappings around the hilt. Beautifully crafted, the double-edged chakra blades served a double function as part of the hilt of her signature twin gigantic battle axes. With the right application of her blood and her chakra, the two twenty inch tantos would unseal instantly to reveal her five-feet, hundred-pound battle axes. It was the sort of unorthodox design that only Naruto's genius could come up with, and true to its name, both the blades and the axes channeled chakra darkly and silently, with no color, no noise, and no indication of power. It was the perfect weapon for a shinobi of her fighting style, for she could extend her range significantly and still cause destructive damage by concentrating her explosive chakra on the edges of the blades themselves.

"Ohayo, Sanji-san," Sakura greeted, taking her customary seat by the open bar. "Slow morning?"

"Not anymore," Sanji answered smoothly, setting down a Cosmopolitan before the beautiful pink-haired woman who still refused to give him her name. "Your lovely presence is more than enough to light up my entire world."

Sakura gave a small smile in thanks. It had been two days since she had gotten on-board Baratie and there was still no sign of Krieg or Hawkeyes. She still felt a bit uneasy about her deal with Smoker, but he had information she needed and he knew it. Of course, she could always infiltrate the marine base in Loguetown, but she had a feeling that the files she was looking for were hidden elsewhere, most likely in their central base at Marineford.

To be honest, Sakura wasn't sure if she could even match Hawkeyes in a fight. Sure, she had the element of surprise and more than a few tricks up her sleeve, but she doubted it would be easy to defeat the strongest swordsman in the world. Maybe Naruto or Sasuke could have done it, but she had always been the weak one of the group. Even with all her training, they were probably still light-years ahead of her...

Sakura snapped out of her self-pitying when the sound of broken glass and panicked shrieks alerted her to Krieg's arrival. Continuing to calmly sip her Cosmo without sparing them a glance, she smirked as she heard a half-starved Krieg slowly trudge his way inside.

_Tch. About time_.

* * *

"Please," Gin begged, "help him! He'll die if you don't give him some food!"

"Ha!" Pati scoffed, "is this really Don Krieg, the scariest pirate of the East Blue?" Turning to his fellow cooks, he ordered, "Contact the marines now. There won't be a chance like this again."

Another cook nodded in agreement. "If he regains his strength, he'll destroy our restaurant. We won't even give him a cup of water."

"We have money!" Gin continued to plead. "We're your customers!"

Sakura watched disinterestedly as Pati and the cooks continued to deny the pair any food. Still no sign of Hawkeyes. Might as well continue to enjoy the show.

Krieg got down on his knees. Sakura scoffed in her head. _This_ was the most notorious pirate in the East Blue? No wonder they called the East the weakest sea.

"If you give me some food, I will peacefully leave, I promise." Krieg bowed his head. "Please, help me. Even a tiny food particle. Anything."

Sanji suddenly got up from behind the counter. Sakura shot him a questioning glance, but he merely shook his head before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Eh? You think we'll feel sorry for you?" Pati sneered. "People like you don't—oof!"

Sakura blinked in surprise as Sanji effortlessly knocked Pati to the ground with a perfectly executed roundhouse kick. _That was definitely the kick of a trained fighter,_ Sakura assessed, _he could— _wait, what was he doing?

"Give this food to him, Gin!" Sanji set down a plate of rice, ignoring the protests of the other chefs. Before the blonde could explain his actions, Krieg finished his meal and knocked him to the ground.

He smirked.

"This is a very good restaurant, so I'm going to take it."

* * *

Sakura listened with only half a mind as Krieg and the cooks continued to bicker. Krieg's crew was starving, so he wanted food prepared for all one hundred of his men. She had been a bit surprised at Sanji's willingness to just hand over the food, and even more so at the other cooks' reactions, but it wasn't her place to interfere and frankly she had other things to worry about. There was _still_ no sign of Hawkeyes. Sakura closed her eyes and spread out her senses even more in concentration.

The explosion of bullets from Krieg's armor jolted Sakura out of her search. Figuring it would be easier to concentrate on Hawkeyes with Krieg out of the way, Sakura effortlessly dodged out of the bullets' path and disappeared faster than the eye could follow. Before Krieg could even blink, she was behind him, her wickedly sharp blade poised right at his jugular.

"Wha—"

"Shut up and get lost before I decide to cut you into little pieces and feed you to the dogs."

"Ca-captain!" As Gin shakily reached for his revolver, Sakura lazily drew her own pistol and pointed it straight between Gin's eyes.

"Move and you die too."

"Who—" Krieg swallowed audibly as the pink-haired woman's sword pressed lightly against his throat in warning, drawing blood. "Who are you?"

"Hmm?" Sakura answered, smiling innocently. "I believe you guys call me the Reaper, if memory serves correctly. Personally, I prefer a much more creative name. I don't even wear all red anymore. The Reaper is just so... uninspired, you know?"

The restaurant was dead silent. A few of the customers had fainted upon hearing her codename.

Sakura continued smiling. "Since you're not part of my mission, I'll let you off for today. It would be a waste to dirty my blade for scum like you anyway."

Turning to the stunned chefs, Sakura lightly ordered, "Tie them up."

* * *

"Wow, nee-chan, that was awesome!" Luffy exclaimed in excitement, breaking the silence and snapping the chefs into action.

Sakura returned her kunai to its holster and didn't bother to reply.

"That was pretty impressive," Zoro commented, eyes fixed on the girl's strange knife. "I didn't even see you draw your weapon."

Usopp still sat frozen in fear.

"It was nothing," Sakura muttered, eyes scanning the waters for signs of Hawkeyes. What made Smoker so sure that he was going to come after Krieg again anyway? Krieg was small fry, nothing to worry about.

"Thank you," a gruff voice interrupted Sakura's thoughts. It was Zeff, the owner with the wooden leg. Sakura inclined her head slightly in acknowledgement.

Zeff turned to his chefs. "Stop," he ordered, throwing down a large bag of food in front of Krieg. Ignoring their questioning looks, he commanded the pirate, "You want food for 100 people, right? Take this to your crew."

Sakura stared. Was the old man insane?

Apparently the other chefs shared similar thoughts.

"What are you thinking, honor?"

"If we let those pirates have food, once they regain their strength, they'll take this ship!"

"That will depend," Zeff answered with an unreadable look, "on their spirits!" Turning to Krieg, he continued, "Isn't that right, fugitives from the Grand Line?"

Krieg's eyes widened in recognition. "Zeff... _you're_ Zeff, the Red Leg? The famous pirate who was both captain and chef of his ship?"

"As you can see," Zeff responded coolly, "I now live just as a chef."

"When people talk about Zeff, they think of a man who has a very powerful kick. Every time he fought, he's never used his hands. His one kick could destroy a whole cliff. Even if he kicked iron, he would leave his footmark. The name Red Leg came from that powerful kick. Every time he kicked his enemies, their blood would cover his leg and soak it red." Eyeing the cook's wooden leg, Krieg sneered, "Even though you did not die in an accident as I've heard, you have lost one leg, which means that you've lost all your power."

"But I haven't," Sakura cut in breezily, lazily twirling a kunai around her index finger and releasing a bit of her killing intent. "So take your food and scram before I change my mind."

Krieg whimpered before taking the giant sack of food and hightailing it out of the restaurant.

Sakura smirked at her handiwork. There was still one thing she was confused about though. Directing her question to the old man, she asked, "Why did you give him that food?"

Zeff sighed. With clouded eyes, he answered, "Have you ever been through a situation where you had no food to eat or water to drink? Have you ever known the suffering of being without food or drink in the middle of the sea? While I appreciate everything you've done for us, it is against my morals as a chef to allow anyone to starve to death when they come to me begging for food."

Sakura could understand that. It was similar, really, to how the medic in her used to hate to letting even enemy nin die. She'd learned the hard way that that sort of compassion would only get her killed, one way or another.

"Krieg is a man without morals," she pointed out, "I guarantee you he'll be back to take the restaurant once he regains his strength. When he does, I won't be here to stop him. You're willing to lose your restaurant to save a crew who won't hesitate to strike you down?"

Zeff's voice was hard when he answered. "Well, we'll just have to stop him, won't we?"

* * *

Krieg seethed as he made his way back to his ship. How dare that little pink–haired bitch make a fool out of him like that? Sneering, he threw the bag of food roughly to his famished crew, watching with a disgusted eye as they furiously devoured the food.

"We have survived!" a member yelled in celebration, pumping his fist up in the air.

"We're alive! We're so lucky…" another sobbed.

"It's almost like a dream…"

"We've been released from the nightmare," his first–mate sighed, "we've survived 'the pirate's graveyard'."

"That's right," Krieg smirked, propping his face up on his arm, "and we will go back to the Grand Line again."

A shocked silence settled over the ship.

"You still," one of his men asked hesitantly, "want to go back to that place?"

Krieg gave no warning before he drew his pistol and carelessly shot the man who spoke. He turned his gaze to the rest of his frightened crew and raised a brow.

"Anyone else got an objection?"

Satisfied upon hearing no answer, Krieg continued, "I lost last time because I didn't have enough information. The head chef of that restaurant has been to the Grand Line and returned safely; he must have kept a journal. With that journal, we can get through the Grand Line again with enough men and power.

"Now, I don't know when this ship will sink, so the first thing we will do is take that restaurant ship. The enemy is just a bunch of stupid chefs. You should be able to take care of them. The only one who may pose a threat is that mercenary, but she's still just one person."

Fixing his crew with an intimidating glare, Krieg ordered coldly, "Get ready to attack. Failure will not be tolerated."

_You may have gotten the best of me last time, _he thought, _but I'll crush you this time._

* * *

"The powerful Krieg pirates," Pati asked in shock, "were completely destroyed by just one man?"

Gin could only nod his head shakily in confirmation.

"He must be Hawkeyes." Upon seeing his chefs' confused faces, Zeff elaborated, "There's not enough evidence from your story, but if a man could do something like that, I think it is safe to assume he was _the_ Hawkeyes."

Usopp's eyes widened. "The… _the_ Hawkeyes?" Turning to Luffy, he asked, "Do you know who he is?"

"I don't know. Who?"

Zoro spoke up. "He's the man I'm looking for."

Sakura filed this information away for later use. Turning to Gin, she asked, "Any ideas why he came after you?"

Gin shook his head. "I don't remember anything. Everything happened so suddenly…"

"Maybe it's because you guys interrupted his nap." Zeff offered. Seeing Gin's outraged look, he added, "you don't have to be so upset. The Grand Line is a dangerous place, it's not exactly strange for this sort of thing to happen."

Sakura frowned. This was normal? Maybe she needed to reconsider her options…

"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed, giddy with excitement. "That's so exciting! I can't wait to go there!"

Zoro smirked. "If that man is there, that means my goal really does involve the Grand Line."

"You're all crazy," Sanji scoffed. "You guys are going to die."

Sakura didn't hear the rest of the conversation. One of her bunshins outside had just spotted a small, coffin-like vessel approaching rapidly from the west. She silently slipped out of the room without anyone noticing.

Dismissing her water clones, Sakura carefully masked her chakra and leaped up to the roof of the restaurant, casting a small genjutsu over herself to conceal her presence. Channeling chakra to her eyes, she could just make out a lone figure sitting casually on the small raft, leaning against what looked to be a cross. Sakura recognized his signature blade immediately. The _Kokuto Yoru_, after all, was nearly as famous as its master. Her hands tightened around the hilt of her own tanto in anticipation.

Sakura vaguely registered Krieg mobilizing his forces. The bulk of her attention was focused on the figure behind him, lazily reaching for the hilt of his giant sword.

The Leaf nin sucked in a small breath of surprise when she saw Hawkeyes single-handedly destroy Krieg's giant galleon with a few swings of his sword. His strength was incredible. His movements were fast, but not impossible to follow.

Sakura narrowed her eyes.

It was going to be a long fight, but she was positive she could take him.

* * *

Those aboard Baratie watched wide-eyed as Krieg's large battleship was suddenly cut up by an unseen force. Snapping out of his stupor, Zeff quickly ordered, "Quick, pull up the anchor! Or we'll be sucked into the whirlpool!"

"Shit!" Zoro realized with alarm. "Nami, Yosaku, and Johnny are still on our ship!"

The straw-hats quickly ran to the deck, but the Going Merry was nowhere in sight.

"Senpai!"

"Senpai, help!"

Zoro looked down to find Yosaku and Johnny thrashing in the water.

"Are you two okay?" he asked, starting to pull them up. "What about the ship? Where's the ship? What happened to Nami?"

Yosaku hung his head in shame. "The ship is not here anymore, senpai," he sniffed, "Nami-senpai took all the treasure and escaped with your ship!"

Three jaws dropped simultaneously.

"WHAT?"

"We're really sorry, senpai!" Johnny cried, "She tricked us!"

Briefly recounting what had happened, the two pirate hunters got down on their knees and finished tearfully, "—and that's how Nami-senpai left us."

Zoro punched the wall in frustration. "Damn it!" he growled, "I thought she'd changed, but behind our backs she's still the same person as before!"

"We're doomed!" Usopp cried dramatically.

"Wait!" Luffy squinted into the distance. "I can still see our ship! Let's go after it!" Turning to the two pirate hunters, he asked, "Johnny, Yosaku, what about your ship? Is it still here?"

They nodded.

"Zoro! Usopp! Go—"

"Just leave her!" Zoro interrupted angrily. "There's no reason to follow her!"

"But the ship is important!" Usopp argued. "That ship is—"

"No!" Luffy's eyes were serious. "I want only her to be our navigator!"

The other two were silent for a moment.

"Fine, fine," Zoro finally conceded, leaping onto the ship Johnny and Yosaku had prepared. "I get it. Let's go, Usopp!"

"I'll stay here," Luffy said, jabbing his thumb towards the cooks, "because I don't want to owe them."

Before Zoro could answer, a shrill voice brought their attention to a small raft in the water.

"Captain Krieg! Th... That..." the crew member stuttered fearfully, "That man is the person who destroyed our ships! He chased us all the way to here!"

Zoro's eyes widened at what he heard next.

"It's Hawkeyes, the world's greatest swordsman!"

* * *

"Damn you!" one of Krieg's henchmen cried, struggling to find his footing on the broken floorboard. "You don't have anything to do with us— why do you keep following us?"

Hawkeyes barely spared him a glance. "I was bored," he answered coolly.

_What an arrogant bastard_, thought Sakura, still crouched on Baratie's rooftop, ready to spring into action at the slightest opening. _I wouldn't mind taking his ego down a few notches even if I wasn't hired to kill him._

Krieg's crew finally lost it and started to fire wildly at the swordsman. Sakura watched closely as Hawkeyes used his sword to deflect the bullets.

_Strange,_ Sakura furrowed her brow in question. _His sword definitely didn't make physical contact with the bullets. He didn't knock them away... It's more like he _swept_ them away. How—_

Zoro answered her thoughts a moment later. "No matter how many times you try," he told Krieg's men, "you will miss shooting. He uses his sword to change the course of the bullets."

Hawkeyes fixed him with a bored gaze. "If a sword doesn't have gentleness, it is not strong."

"I've been looking for you for a long time," Zoro said with an excited gleam in his eyes. Tying his dark green bandana into place, Zoro challenged, "You're free, right? Why don't you fight me?"

"…I really feel sorry for you, weakling," Hawkeyes deadpanned, "even the greatest swordsmen won't fight me because they can estimate their power and compare it to mine. Your strong will to challenge me comes from your brave heart…"

He smirked. "…or from your foolishness."

Zoro drew his three swords. Holding one in each hand and putting the third in his mouth, he got into an offensive stance and spoke.

"It's my dream, and my promise to my best friend."

Sakura bit her lip. A part of her was yelling at her to stop this madness before the kid lost his life, while another, more callous side was insisting that this was the perfect opportunity to witness Hawkeyes' power. The kid _did_ say it was his dream to fight and become the greatest swordsman in the world, right? Who was she to take that away?

Sakura tightened her grip on her own blade but otherwise did nothing as Zoro charged.

The kid never stood a chance.

* * *

For the first time in his life, Zoro was beginning to see the huge gap in power between him and the world's greatest swordsman. Hawkeyes had just managed to stop one of his most powerful attacks with a _toy_.

_He's not even playing with me! _Zoro thought in frustration. _He's countering all my attacks easily with that small knife. Even when I'm close to him, I can't do anything. How can the real world be this different?_

Hawkeyes watched impassively as the green–haired kid let out a battle cry and charged again. The kid had potential, he would give him that, but he was still a hundred years too early to challenge him. Deciding to toy with him for a little while longer, Hawkeyes asked, "What is your duty? What do you want from the ultimate power?"

"To become the greatest in the world!" Zoro positioned the two swords in his hands over the blade in his mouth and swung forward with all his might. "_Tora Giri!_"

Hawkeyes sidestepped the attack with ease and took the opening to plunge his knife into Zoro's chest. He was surprised when the kid didn't even try to step back.

"Do you want this knife to go through your heart?" He narrowed his eyes when the kid stared back at him defiantly. "Why aren't you stepping back?"

Zoro ignored the pain and answered honestly. "If I take a single step back, I would feel like I'd broken my promise, and I will never be able to stand here again."

"Right. And _that_, is called 'losing.'"

Zoro laughed dryly. "…Which is why I can't step back."

"Even if it means losing your life?"

"If I have to lose, I'd rather die!"

Hawkeyes was impressed. _What a strong will_. _He chose to die rather than live with regret._

"Tell me your name, kid!"

"Roronoa Zoro."

"I'll remember that." Pulling his knife back, Hawkeyes drew his sword seriously for the first time. "I haven't met anyone with such a strong will for a long time. And to repay that, I will use _Kokuto Yoru_, the strongest sword in the world, to end your life."

Zoro mentally prepared himself. _This is my final move. If I miss, it will cost me my life. I have to choose between becoming an invincible swordsman or death. _His eyes snapped open in determination as he easily made his choice.

"_Santoryu Ogi: Sanzen Sekai!_"

* * *

_I've lost. _

The thought resonated in Zoro's head. _I can't defeat him. Is this… the power of the world's greatest swordsman?_

He threw his two broken swords to the ground. Taking _Wadō Ichimonji_ from his mouth, he turned forward with a smile of acceptance.

At Hawkeye's questioning gaze, he answered, "It's shameful for a swordsman to be hit from behind." Spreading his arms wide, he closed his eyes and waited for the final strike.

It never came.

He cracked an eye open slightly. The pink–haired woman was standing over him, blocking Hawkeyes' massive blade with one of her own.

"Sorry," she smiled, "but I just can't stand to watch stubborn idiots like you kill themselves over pride." Forcing Hawkeyes' sword back with apparent ease, she bit her thumb and smeared the blood across the sealed markings on the hilt of her blade in the blink of an eye and rushed at him with incredible speed. Hawkeyes could only stare with incredulity as the smoke cleared and in the place of the woman's tiny tanto now stood a massive battle axe that almost rivaled his _Kokuto Yoru _in size. Concentrating a wealth of chakra into the blade of her axe, Sakura took advantage of Hawkeye's split second opening and grinned when he misjudged the true strength of her strike. Simultaneously releasing all the pent-up chakra in her axe with a precision that would have made her deceased shishou proud, the explosive strength of Sakura's strike shattered part of the hilt of Hawkeye's infamous blade and the edges of her axe sliced cleanly into his left shoulder. She leapt back gracefully onto the water before he could counter.

Zoro stared. Not only did this girl just land a strike on the world's greatest swordsman and damage the _Kokuto Yoru_, she was standing on water as if it was solid.

"…Besides," she finished, flicking the blood from her blade with an wicked smirk and dangling the ginormous battle axe over her shoulders as if it weighed nothing, "he's _my_ target."

* * *

**A/N:** Ch. 2 is finished! Hopefully this was worth the wait!

Edits: For those of you who'd read the fic before the rewrite, you'll know that I've decided to change Sakura's nodaichi to two giant battle axes instead. Kishi actually did draw Sakura with the two giant axes in several of his cover arts, so even though Sakura has technically never used them in canon I'm going to take them as part of Kishi's canon design for her anyway. I've decided to keep the name, since _Tenjin_ is the Shinto god of scholarship and fits. And _Kage_, of course, is shadow.

Remember to review! All feedback is welcome!


	4. Chapter 3

_**A/N: **_A big thanks to everyone who reviewed! I honestly never expected such a huge response. You guys rock my world :D

Without further ado, here's the next chapter~!

Reworked 9.9.2013

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Chapter 3: Against the World's Greatest Swordsman**_

* * *

It was no small feat to take Dracule "Hawkeyes" Mihawk, current holder of the title 'Greatest Swordsman in the World', by surprise. The man was immensely skilled, had a quick mind, and was impossibly fast. Even Shanks, one of the Yonkou who ruled the second half of the Grand Line, could barely match his blade.

And yet that pink–haired woman had somehow gotten past his guard, blocked his sword, _and_ landed a strike, all with apparent ease.

Mihawk watched with narrowed eyes as she stood lazily on the water, form relaxed, just outside the range of his _Kokuto Yoru_. It was the perfect distance for both offense and defense. Briskly dismissing her ability to stand on water as the work of some Devil Fruit, he tightened his grip on his sword in anticipation.

This was _not_ someone to be taken lightly.

He had been _sure_ he was out of the reach of her giant (not to mention _barbaric)_ battle axe. To think her strike packed enough strength to damage the hilt of his _Kokuto Yoru..._ The blade itself definitely didn't touch him, and there was no indication that Haki had been used either, but _something _had sliced into his shoulder. He eyed the girl's axe and the other tanto that hung from her back with renewed interest.

The tanto was a beautiful blade. Roughly 20 inches in length, the sword was pure black, double edged, and had scroll work wrappings around the hilt but no guard. The axe on the other hand was over 5 feet in length, and dwarfed the girl's deceptively fragile-looking form. Despite this being the first time seeing the combo in person, Hawkeyes had recognized it instantly.

_Kage Tenjin._ The twin Shadow Blades.

One of the three Lost Blades that preceded the making of the twelve Saijō Ō Wazamono grade swords, it was the final masterpiece of the mysterious blacksmith Mifune Akira before his untimely death. Designed solely for the purpose of mass destruction, the twin blades' bloody trails were splattered across the pages of history like no other.

No historical record had mentioned the blades' ability to transform into giant battle axes, however, though Hawkeyes supposed that with all the witchcraft accusations levied against the legendary blacksmith, it wasn't entirely outside the realm of possibility.

Hawkeyes smiled with a maniacal gleam in his eye. The kid earlier had been fun to play with, but he was definitely going to _enjoy_ cutting this one down.

"You," he asked with actual interest, "what's your name?"

"I don't see the point of giving my name to someone I'm about to kill," Sakura answered lightly. "You may, however, have heard of me as the Reaper."

The Reaper? Hawkeyes racked his memories for the name. Where had he heard it before? _Ah yes,_ he remembered, _Sengoku did mention something about a rising assassin in the East Blue… _

"Luffy," Sakura suddenly ordered, not taking her eyes off Hawkeyes for a second, "get your first mate out of here."

Zoro snapped out of his stupor. "Wha—no!" he protested, "I won't run! I'd rather die before I turn away from an opponent!"

The Leaf nin sighed. Did the kid have a death wish or something? Determined to knock some sense into him, she was surprised when Hawkeyes beat her to it.

"Kid," he spoke with an unreadable look, "it is too soon for you to die. You have to learn more about the world, and discover your true self. You have to become stronger. No matter how long it will take, I will always be the strongest swordsman in the world and will be waiting for you! You have to practice both your skill and heart to become stronger, and dare to challenge me again, Roronoa Zoro!"

Slightly surprised at the words that just came out of Hawkeyes' mouth, Sakura watched guardedly as Luffy carried a badly injured Zoro back to the ship. Even though she had stopped Hawkeyes' last strike, the kid was still going to need medical attention.

Cursing her innate softness, Sakura quickly performed the necessary hand seals and summoned one of Katsuyu's daughter slugs.

"Yo!" the small slug greeted, happy to see her master again after such a long period of inactivity. "What do you want me to do?"

"See that green–haired kid on the ship?" The slug nodded. "Do what you can for him."

The slug looked at her expectantly, and Sakura sweatdropped as she remembered that slugs die of dehydration when they come into contact with salty seawater. Reaching a hand down to help fling her summon onto Luffy's raft, Sakura mentally evaluated Zoro's wounds. The slug wouldn't be able to heal him entirely, but it would be enough for now. Turning her full attention back to Mihawk, she smirked.

"Well then, now that that's out of the way, shall we get back down to business?"

* * *

"Zoro!" Usopp yelled worriedly, panicking at the sight of blood soaking the swordsman's front. Turning to Luffy, he asked, "Is he okay?"

"He will be." Luffy nodded reassuringly to himself. "He has to be."

Usopp turned to look at the woman who saved Zoro's life. She was standing solidly on the water, her ridiculously large battle axe propped up against her shoulders in a deceptively relaxed manner.

"Ne, Luffy, why do you think she helped him? They say the Reaper never protects, only destroys…"

"I've been telling you guys all along," Luffy grinned, "Nee–chan's a good person!"

"…Luffy."

Luffy and Usopp both turned at the sound of Zoro's voice.

Ignoring Johnny and Yosaku's cries for him to stay still before he aggravates his wounds even more, Zoro shakily raised Kuina's sword to the sky in promise.

"I'm sorry for making you worry about me." Taking a deep breath, he continued, "From now on, I won't lose to anyone ever again! Until I can defeat that man, I won't lose again! Ever!"

Zoro looked Luffy in the eye. "Do you have any problems, future pirate king?"

Luffy smiled, "Nope!"

"…Hey guys," Usopp asked hesitantly, "what's that coming right at us?"

Before anyone could answer, a giant slug the size of a small dog landed with a smack on the small raft's floorboards. Luffy's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets when the slug _spoke_.

"Hi! My name is Katsumi, daughter of the slug queen, Katsuyu!" The slug's optical tentacles twitched as she stared at the occupants of the boat. "Where's the sick one?"

"It—It—It spoke!" Usopp finally stuttered out, stumbling back in shock.

"_Excuse_ _me_," the slug huffed angrily, "I am a _she_, not an _it_! Geez, you humans can be so insensitive!"

Usopp simply stared with an unbelieving expression.

The slug huffed again at the human's lack of manners. Squinting, she finally located the head of green her master had wanted her to treat. Shaking her sensatory tentacles slightly at the mass amount of blood, she quickly slid on top of his wound and started to heal.

"Get— get off me!" Zoro tried in vain to swat the slug off his chest. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Stop squirming," the slug ordered sternly, annoyed at the patient's lack of cooperation. "Can't you tell just by looking? I'm healing you. So unless you want to bleed out, stay _still_."

"This—this is just too weird," Usopp muttered, "the Reaper… who the hell is she?"

"I know," Zoro nodded in agreement, having finally stopped trying to fling the slug off his chest, "she blocked Hawkeyes' strike so easily, and even managed to cut him with her axe…"

"…She can walk on the water and summon talking slugs out of thin air and you're thinking about her blocking Hawkeyes' sword?" Usopp sweatdropped. "Man, there's definitely something wrong with you."

"I've got it!" Luffy yelled excitedly, "Nee–chan must be some kind of master of the sea or something!"

Usopp didn't get a chance to respond to Luffy's ridiculous statement before a massive explosion brought their attention back to Baratie. The cooks laid defeated on the deck, and Krieg's pirates were advancing purposefully towards the restaurant.

Luffy's eyes turned serious. "Usopp, you and Zoro should go. I have to stay and help them."

Usopp looked at his captain with determined eyes. "We'll bring Nami back for sure. You just make sure that chef and that scary nee–chan of yours join us."

With a smile, he continued, "And when all this is over, we'll definitely go to the Grand Line!"

* * *

Sakura was no fool. She had known that the success of her first strike was largely due to the swordsman's surprise, and she had no delusions that it would be _easy_ to get under his guard again, but this…

This was just getting plain ridiculous.

Sakura scowled inwardly as Hawkeyes blocked her sword for the umpteenth time. The man was matching her move for move, giving her no openings to exploit while constantly putting her on the defensive. To the untrained eye, their movements appeared only as a blur, engaged in a deadly dance of lethal steel. The fact that her chakra-enhanced axe couldn't shatter the core blade of his _Kokuto Yoru_ spoke volumes to the quality of the steel, though Sakura supposed that she should expect no less from the most infamous sword in the world. Of course, channeling chakra through her axe only allowed for roughly half the precision (and hence half the power) as if she'd channeled chakra directly through her fists, but Mihawk's movements were too fast and his sword granted him too much range for her to risk engaging in close combat directly.

Sakura carefully hid her frustration as she enhanced the genjutsu around her, seamlessly weaving the illusion into reality and further distorting Hawkeyes' distance perception. Ironically enough, she had gotten the idea for the genjutsu from Madara, after their first encounter during the Itachi pursuit mission. While he had used a combination of his Sharingan and time–space ninjutsu to instantly transfer parts of his body to some sort of void to avoid attacks, her genjutsu would give the illusion of the same intangibility. To Hawkeyes, his attacks would simply appear to pass right through her, while she would in actuality always be just a few feet out of his range.

Hawkeyes grinned sadistically as his sword sliced cleanly into the evasive pink–haired assassin, only for the blade to go straight through and cut nothing but thin air. This was the most fun he's had in while. As the greatest swordsman in the world, Hawkeyes rarely made misjudgments in battle, and for him to miss continuously was simply unheard of. He had been _absolutely certain_ that she was within the path of his blade, and yet she'd always appear a few steps back, just out of range. It was an interesting paradox, but one that he was determined to unravel.

"Girl," he asked, simultaneously deflecting yet another lightning fast strike of her axe before countering to return the favor. He watched in fascination as the sword simply phased through her, again, while she stood with an annoyingly blank face on top of the water. "What kind of powers are these? I don't know of any Devil Fruit that grants such strange abilities. You have the intangibility of a Logia, but are completely unaffected by the sea and can even go so far as to stand on seawater."

"What can I say?" Sakura responded in a mockingly gloating voice, "I'm incredibly talented."

Slightly irritated by her cheek but not losing his calm composure in the slightest, Hawkeyes continued, "Let me ask you another question then. How did you gain possession of the _Kage Tenjin_?"

Sakura was momentarily caught off guard and her brief mistake nearly made her lose an arm. "How…" she breathed, "…do you know the name of these two blades?" She had never once revealed its name, so the fact that Hawkeyes knew of the swords would mean—

Hawkeyes raised a brow in question. "You think the world's greatest swordsman would be ignorant to the existence of such renowned blades?" At Sakura's confused frown, he elaborated, "The _Kage Tenjin_ has an infamous reputation as the most dispassionate and ruthless of the three Lost Blades, in that it knows no loyalty except to strength. Only a fool would have never heard of it."

Sakura's eyes widened. If the sword was known in this world, then the implications are staggering. Naruto had told her that he'd commissioned it from an old samurai in the Land of Iron during his travels with Jiraiya, but if the twin blades had originated from this place then that would mean Konoha and the Elemental nations are _definitely_ somewhere within the scope of this world.

"The creator," she asked sharply, feeling almost giddy with excitement at the confirmation, "where is he?"

Hawkeyes gave her a strange look. "That sword," he finally answered, "was forged by the legendary samurai, Mifune Akira, who took the blade with him and disappeared off the face of the Grand Line—"

Sakura froze at what she heard next. She couldn't move, couldn't blink, could hardly _think_—

"—almost 900 years ago."

Mifune Akira, from what she'd remembered reading in the Konoha Archives, was a famous samurai known for his creation of the Iai sword style, designed specifically to incapacitate shinobi before they had the chance to complete the necessary hand seals for ninjutsu. His great grandson was the last known leader of the Land of Iron.

Last she checked, the old hermit was just pushing ninety, and definitely still _alive_.

…which would put the Elemental nations _at least_ eight hundred years _before_ the current timeline of this world.

Sakura paled as the realization sunk in. She didn't register the pain of Hawkeyes' sword cutting into her flesh—she'd barely even managed to twist enough to the side to avoid a vital organ getting impaled.

_Well shit_, she thought faintly,_ I think I'd just spent the last two years in the fucking future._

* * *

Things could not have been going better for Krieg. His armada had overpowered the majority of the cooks, he was well on his way of getting a new ship, and best of all…

His two arch–enemies are completely ignoring him in favor of tearing each other apart.

_Ah yes, _Krieg thought with a sadistic grin, _luck is definitely on my side today. I'll make both of them regret ever messing with Don Krieg, the greatest pirate in the East Blue._

"Captain," one of his henchman asked hesitantly, "shouldn't we get out of here while _that man_ is still preoccupied? What if he comes after us again and destroys the restaurant ship as well?"

Krieg glared at the man's incompetence. Why had he allowed such a cowardly idiot onto his ship again?

"You fool," he snapped, "this is the perfect opportunity to get our revenge. The Reaper and Hawkeyes appear to be roughly equal in skill– even if one manages to kill the other, the victor will still most likely be heavily injured. And when that happens…"

"We can take both of them out with ease!" Realization dawned in the henchman's eyes, "That's brilliant, Captain Krieg!"

Krieg smirked at the praise. He may not have enough strength to take either of them on in a fair fight, but who said that he had to fight fair? All that mattered was the result…

…And he was _definitely_ going to come out on top.

* * *

Sakura leapt back into the water with a grimace of pain. She'd managed to avoid getting impaled, but the gash was deep and dangerously close to her hepatic artery. Had she reacted a second slower, the strike would have been near fatal.

Sakura narrowed her eyes and, careful to avoid further exacerbating her wound, retreated a safe distance away. There was no wooden boards or beams within her immediate radius, so she should be able to buy just enough time to heal the worst of the injury. Flinching slightly, she quickly channeled chakra to her fingers and sent it into the gash in her side, encouraging muscles and skin to mend together while her mind desperately tried to grasp the entirety of the situation.

Unless there existed two Mifune Akira's, both of whom were famous swordsman and creator of the exact same blades, there was a fairly good chance that she was currently stuck in the future.

_After all_, she analyzed, looking at the axe in her hand and the still sealed tanto on her back with a critical eye, _the Kage Tenjin is in exceptionally good condition for a sword that's supposed to be over several hundred years old. It _would_ make more sense if we consider—_

Sakura shook her head. There was no time to think about that now. Against someone like Hawkeyes, she couldn't afford to be distracted. Sending one last burst of healing chakra to her wound, Sakura cleared her head and focused with renewed resolve.

It was apparent that she won't be able to win with just genjutsu and her super strength. She had hoped to finish the battle without revealing any of her techniques, but it seems that's no longer an option. "I should just stick to just one type of elemental ninjutsu," she muttered to herself, "since it appears that the Devil Fruits of this place only grants the user one type of power. Good thing I have an affinity for water…"

Taking a deep breath, she flashed through the hand seals for a Mizu bunshin, released the chakra to her feet, and disappeared into the water.

* * *

Hawkeyes rarely lost his composure, but even he had to admit the girl had taken him by surprise when she disappeared out of sight into the water and two perfect replicas of herself emerged instantly behind him, slashing at him in perfect synchrony. Not only had she somehow managed to duplicate herself, she had traveled over 100 feet through the water in the blink of an eye. He grinned ferally as his sword _finally_ made contact with one of the clones, only for it to revert back to water and for another to immediately take its place.

Sakura watched warily a safe distance away as her hands flew through hands seals once more. Cursing the long series of seals required for all water ninjutsu, she finally finished, "_Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu!_"

A majestic dragon at least forty feet high rose from the water, rushing at the swordsman with tremendous speed and power. Impressed but unfazed, Mihawk calmly brought his sword up with Busoshoku Haki to block, expecting to cut through the water easily like he had Kreig's galleon. He cursed in surprise when _something _within the dragon countered his haki, negating the blunt of his strike. He'd only managed to cut halfway through before the water consumed him.

Knowing that the one jutsu couldn't possibly be enough to finish the infamous swordsman, Sakura flickered to his approximate area and flooded her chakra through the surface of the water in a 3 mile radius around her, coaxing the water to freeze harder than steel in hope of trapping the swordsman underneath. It was a technique that Kakashi had thought up for her weeks before his death, an extension of the water prison technique they'd seen Zabuza use during Team Seven's first real mission. _Even if he don't drown,_ she thought grimly, _the prolonged lack of oxygen should definitely still weaken him_.

Hawkeyes gritted his teeth as he swam toward some wooden remains of Krieg's battleship. While he had first dismissed the girl's strange abilities as just the work of some Devil Fruit, it was now apparent that her powers extend far beyond just being able to stand on water. No, he thought, her control over water puts her at an almost impossible advantage here on the sea. Now he's beginning to wish he hadn't been so hasty to destroy Krieg's ship; at least then he'd have some solid footing to work with instead of being reduced to flail in the water.

Sakura closed her eyes in concentration as Hawkeyes finally made contact with her chakra–laced water barrier, his strangely empty yet equally powerful energy struggling to overpower her chakra and break through the surface. She fed even more chakra into the water, intent on not leaving even a single gap. It was an incredibly taxing technique, but her control was immaculate and unless Hawkeyes knew exactly how to disrupt her perfect chakra flow, he would not be coming up anytime soon.

Hawkeyes cursed again when the water refused to give and began to slash at her chakra barrier with renewed vigor, but Sakura didn't waver. By him being underwater and rapidly running out of oxygen, his strikes had lost much of their momentum, making the attacks much more bearable. Still, Sakura was definitely starting to feel the strain of maintaining the chakra shield; over half of her reserves were gone already, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold the barrier much longer if she didn't want to risk chakra depletion. The longest she had ever held the shield was nine minutes, and it was already nearing twelve. _Better make a preemptive strike while he's still weakened,_ she reasoned, _or else I'll be totally defenseless if he somehow manages to outlast me and break through after I run out of chakra._

Sakura readied herself as she retracted the barrier and launched into her final series of attacks.

_Time to end this._

* * *

By the time Luffy got back to Baratie, the place was already a mess. The cooks laid defeated on the deck, and even Patty and Karne were knocked away easily by Krieg's strangely narcissistic second mate. Zeff was nowhere to be found, and Luffy didn't see Gin in the fray either. Rolling his shoulders slightly as he prepared to unleash his famous Gomu Gomu no Pistol on the Krieg pirates, Luffy was caught completely unaware as a backhand attack by Krieg himself sent him spiraling through the air… and right into the egotistical second mate.

Having absolutely no idea what he'd just done, Luffy rubbed his head and fixed his signature hat before remarking innocently, "Phew! That was so scary, I thought I was definitely going to fall into the sea!"

Pearl stared with a mix of wonder, horror, and disbelief as a small trail of blood slowly slid down from his nose. "…bl—blood…?"

The rest of Krieg's crew shared identical horror–struck expressions as they tried their best to calm down the second mate whose entire form was starting to shake. A crazed look entered his eyes despite the crew's efforts.

"Pearl–san, it's okay!"

"Just a little nosebleed, nothing to worry about!"

"Please calm down, Pearl–san!"

Luffy turned to Sanji with a confused look and asked, "Oi, what's wrong with them? It's just a little nosebleed—"

Sanji didn't get a chance to reply before the man in question finally lost it and started to set his entire armor aflame while shouting "I'M IN DANGER!" at the top of his lungs.

"Is he planning on burning down the ship that his captain wants to take?" Sanji raised a brow in disbelief, taking one last swig of his cigarette before concluding, "…what an idiot."

Putting his cigarette out, the blonde cook ignored Luffy's panicked shrieks of 'hot! hot!' and rushed the burning pirate, launching into a spinning back kick combo that knocked Pearl back at least twenty feet.

"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed, "that's so cool! Way to go, Sanji!"

"What is this?" Pearl screamed in frustration as more blood trickled down his face, "You dare get close to the fire?"

"You idiot," Sanji smirked, calmly putting out the fire on his pant leg and taking the chance to light another cigarette. "What kind of chef would be afraid of a little fire?"

Pearl seethed. A _little _fire? He'll make the blonde bastard eat those words and cower at the sight of fire for the rest of his life! "Ultimate ball of fire!"

As Sanji prepared himself to counter the attack, a giant dragon made of what seems to be pure _water_ crashed to their right and the resulting waves roamed greedily over the ship, easily putting out Pearl's fire and knocking him off his feet. Sanji seized the opening and delivered another bone–shattering upper kick to his chin, followed quickly by a roundhouse kick and finishing with an axe kick. Pearl's armor was in pieces and his face was no longer recognizable by the time he finished. Sanji smirked at his handiwork before a panicked shout brought his attention to the sky.

"Sanji, watch out!"

The cook looked up just in time to see Krieg launch what looks to be a giant mace at him. His eyes widened in surprise when Luffy rushed in front of him and stopped the mace with his bare hands, easily knocking the weapon aside in an impressive show of strength. The mace slammed into the mast of Krieg's ship, which, through an incredibly lucky coincidence, fell right on top of Pearl.

"…Well," Sanji blinked, "he certainly won't be getting up anytime soon."

Grinning at their small victory, the duo advanced on the remaining Krieg pirates before Gin's voice stopped them dead in their tracks.

"That's enough, Sanji–san!"

Luffy and Sanji turned around and froze upon seeing Gin standing over Zeff with his pistol pointed inches from the old man's head.

"If you want to spare his life," Gin's voice hardened, "then leave this ship."

* * *

Before the Leaf nin could even fully retract her chakra, Hawkeyes' haki finally broke through and the man didn't waste a second before going on the offensive. For the very first time in his life, Hawkeyes felt a true dislike for the sea as he greedily took in huge gulps of air. He had always prided himself on his lack of vulnerability towards seawater, and had scoffed on multiple occasions at Devil Fruit users for that very same weakness. Never before had he thought he too might meet his end in such a monotonous way. _Death by drowning,_ he grimaced, _what a joke. I'll be a laughing stock if word gets out that the world's greatest swordsman couldn't even handle a little water._

Sakura leapt back several feet to put some distance between them. Her hands flashed through hand seals once more as she fired another stream of water at him as a distraction and prepared to cast one of her most potent genjutsus. "_Kokuangyo no Jutsu!_" she finished, condensing chakra into her battle axe in preparation as she watched the Bringer of Darkness genjutsu take root while Hawkeyes was busy deflecting the highly pressurized spinning water drill she'd sent his way earlier. _Now,_ she thought, taking note of his split second opening before rushing in for the kill.

Several things happened at once.

Hawkeyes, by pure instinct, had somehow managed to deflect her strike _and_ disarm the pink haired nin, despite still being blinded by her genjutsu. His _Kokuto Yoru_ sliced cleanly through her stomach.

Sakura ignored the stabbing pain and instead focused the last remnants of her chakra to her fist, aiming to crush the swordsman's heart with her chakra-enhanced punch. Hawkeyes managed to twist to the side at the last possible second and Sakura's punch shattered his ribs instead. The infamous swordsman was forced to take several steps back at the impact, and Sakura took advantage of her opponent's momentary stumble to form a chakra scalpel and aimed once more at Hawkeyes' heart. Yet as the swordsman jerked his blade out from her injured side the pain momentarily blinded Sakura and she missed again. Her chakra scalpel went through his right arm instead, severing nerves and blood vessels without breaking skin.

"What," Hawkeyes growled, eyes wide in alarm as he struggled to move his now useless right arm, "did you just do to my arm?"

_Damn,_ Sakura cursed in her head, already directing healing chakra to her wound even as she thought frantically for an escape. _I can't believe I just missed and got stabbed for nothing._

Hawkeyes glared at the pink haired woman still partly impaled on his sword. Whatever she did, he could no longer feel anything in his predominant sword arm. Whereas white hot pain screamed for his attention from his damaged ribs, he felt no pain, no sensation, nothing from his arm. He willed his fingers to give even the slightest twitch, curl, _anything_—but the limb remained as motionless as ever.

"It's no use," Sakura told him with a faint smirk, despite the color rapidly draining from her face as copious amounts of blood dripped from her stomach wound. "I've destroyed all the major nerves and arteries within your arm. In a few minutes the muscle will start to atrophy from lack of oxygen and the limb will become just a useless lump of flesh."

Hawkeyes narrowed his eyes as he debated the validity of her statement. She had to be bluffing—aside from the fact that he no longer has any sensation or control over his right arm, there was no indication that there was anything wrong at all. Outwardly, there was not a single hint of injury—no incision, no laceration, nothing to suggest that the nerves and the arteries within have been damaged beyond repair. _There's no way this could be permanent_, the swordsman reasoned desperately, not willing to believe that he may have just lost all function in his sword arm forever. _It has to be just a temporary case of paralysis—maybe from a poison or something. _

Deciding to finish the fight before examining the effects of her attack on his arm more closely, Hawkeyes switched hands and pulled his sword out of the pink haired nin in one fluid motion. Pain flooded Sakura's entire system even as she willed her healing chakra to counter the worst of the damage, but before she could even fully stop the bleeding, Hawkeye's giant blade was upon her again. Knowing that her chances of escape at point–blank range with such a serious wound was minimal at best, Sakura pulled deep within her reserves for the chakra to perform one last Mizu Kawarimi. By sheer force of will, she managed to flicker behind Hawkeye again and stab him with a kunai coated with her most potent poison while he was still preoccupied with her Mizu Bunshin. _Yes,_ she sighed in relief as she stumbled back onto the water. Her legs threatened to give out any second, the effects of chakra depletion having finally caught up on her.

Weakness immediately flooded Hawkeyes' limbs, and an excruciating pain started to spread from where her kunai had nicked him. Within seconds, the infamous swordsman was forced to grasp his sword for support as the poison spread through his system and worked to tear his body apart from the inside. Struggling to breath, Hawkeyes eyed the equally exhausted Sakura and decided to ask the one question that lingered in his mind from the very beginning.

"You," he wheezed, "what is your dream? What do you hope to gain from this?"

Sakura looked to the sky with a tiredness indicative of someone who's experienced much more than her age would suggest. "My dream, huh…." she mused wearily, an image of the original Team Seven flashing before her eyes. Letting out a small, humorless laugh that quickly turned into a blood splattering cough, Sakura was once again reminded of the futility of her situation. _Really,_ she thought cynically, _what are the chances of her even seeing her teammates again, never mind Team Seven reuniting? Kakashi–sensei was dead, Sasuke was corrupted past the point of redemption, and Naruto may or may not have died at the hands of the Akatsuki. So what hope was there for their broken, dysfunctional family, seriously?_

Hawkeyes was still staring at her expectantly. It was unfortunate, really, that they had to meet through such means. Sakura had always heard that he was one of the more honorable members of the Shichibukai and briefly recalled his earlier speech to that Zoro kid. Deciding that he at least deserved some closure, she looked him in the eye and answered honestly, "What I hope… is only to find my way home and take back what I've lost."

"And killing me," the swordsman grimaced as another wave of pain wrecked through his body, "will accomplish this?"

"…No," Sakura finally replied, "but I need information, and my client just happens to want you dead. That's all there is to it."

Before Hawkeyes could respond, a loud crackling laugh brought both of their attentions to Krieg, who stood sneering at a nearby plank readying his armor to attack. Knowing that her body couldn't possibly handle yet another fight, Sakura took one last glance at Hawkeyes and determined that her objective had been accomplished. Although the man was still standing, one of his vital organs was damaged beyond repair, poison flooded his veins, and his right arm was useless. _Even if Krieg didn't finish him,_ the medic nin assessed critically, _he'll last for another three hours at most, possibly four. _Whichever the case may be, her role here was done.

Releasing the chakra to her feet, Sakura performed the necessary seals for a small body flicker and promptly disappeared in a swirl of cherry blossoms.

* * *

**A/N**_**:**_ And chapter three is finished! How'd you guys like the fight? I'll be honest, I have absolutely no experience in writing action scenes, but hopefully this was okay. Remember to review! All feedback, especially constructive criticism, is welcome!

Random Musings:

-Sakura may have won over Mihawk, but it was only due to circumstance. She had the element of surprise on her side, plus an endless supply of her elemental affinity (water) at her disposal. She was unrestricted in her movements in being able to stand on water while Hawkeyes barely had any proper footing to fight on. The fight was unfair and uneven, so I don't want to hear any crap on how Hawkeyes should have decimated Sakura anyway. Give the girl some credit—if she can't win even with such an advantageous handicap, there's no point in writing the rest of the fic.

-Some one had asked why the marines would order a hit on Hawkeyes— the reason behind this fight should clear up by the next chapter. I've alluded to Smoker's motives very _very_ vaguely in this chapter, so props if you picked up on it. Plot development-wise, the fight was necessary to establish Sakura as a legitimate threat and to set the stage for things to come.

-The Mifune Akira I mentioned in this fic is an OC. He's the great grandfather of the Mifune in canon. He won't play any role other than as a plot device.

**Now, regarding Sakura's specific moveset— every single negative review I've received so far has to do with my depiction of Sakura during this fight, so I'll attempt to defend the moves I had her use here. Tbh I find the Sakura-hate incredibly annoying. Just because Kishi constantly sidelines her character doesn't mean she's only limited to healing and punching people with super strength. How boring would that be?**

1) Use of the giant battle axes and channeling her super strength into them— the battle axes are canon (kind of) and with perfect control I don't see why Sakura can't do this if Sasuke can channel his chidori along his sword. And Asuma can channel wind-chakra through his trench knives. Same concept, really.

2) Use of water jutsus— I'm making Sakura's element in this fic water. It was never revealed in canon what Sakura's element was, but that does NOT mean that she can't use any elemental ninjutsu. Why would someone with _perfect control_ not be able to perform elemental ninjutsu? It just didn't suit her skill set back then because elemental ninjustu usually take a lot of chakra to perform. However, 2 things: 1) with her (canon!) byakugou seal, Sakura's chakra capacity has increased exponentially. Not enough chakra should no longer be a problem for her, unless her seal runs dry. 2) Water jutsu normally takes a lot of chakra to perform, UNLESS the user already has access to an existing body of water. So it actually makes sense for Sakura to not use elemental ninjutsu back in Naruto-verse if her element is water, because it's _not efficient _(but not necessarily impossible) for her to use up all her chakra to first summon a huge body of water (like Kisame). On the sea, however, any water-user is at an incredible advantage. Was it opportunistic for me to just give Sakura a water affinity? Sure it is. But she's not fire, not wind, and not lightning, so that left water and earth. I chose water for obvious reasons, but it really wasn't that far of a stretch.

3) Use of other elemental ninjustu— this is probably not going to be an issue, but I just want to point out that even if someone doesn't have an _affinity_ for an element, it doesn't necessarily mean that they can't use _any_ jutsu of that element. It's not unreasonable to assume they know some low-ranked ones.

4) Use of high level genjustu— Sakura was originally a genjustu-type. It's Kishi's fault he never did anything with it. (Not that it would help, with everyone having a Sharingan these days...) But with Tsunade as her teacher, who's to say Sakura can't get access to some of the Senju genjutsu scrolls? She's a good self-study. Hence the Bringer of Darkness technique.

**A few comments regarding Naruto-verse vs. OP-verse strength levels in general...  
**

This is a crossover fic, so obviously there will be discrepancies in strength levels between the OP characters and the Naruto characters. Different authors will interpret and gauge the characters' strengths differently. The way I figured it, OP characters have more attacking force, but Naruto characters are smarter, more cunning, and have more tricks up their sleeves. For example, a Logia who has complete control over an element will overpower shinobi elemental attacks. Obviously Ace's fire will win over Katon jutsus (maybe with some exceptions like Amaterasu), Enel's lightening will win over Raiton jutsus, etc. However, at the same time, shinobi have countless advantages over OP characters: 1) they can use chakra to stand on water and use water jutsus, which is an unbelievable advantage on the sea, especially against Devil Fruit users; 2) no one in the OP world is aware of the existence of genjutsu, which makes infiltration and recon a breeze for shinobi. This is just my opinion, but I actually see genjutsu as the most useful thing a shinobi has in their arsenal against a group of people who are not even aware of its existence (versus in Naruto-verse where it's pretty much useless because all the big bads have some kind of doujutsu). Anyway, the bottom line is, in a perfectly fair fight, going by strength alone, OP characters might have the edge. However, shinobi by nature don't fight fair—they'll use whatever strategy they need to win.

The way I set things up in this fic, Sakura and co. are going to be on par with the _post-timeskip_ monster trio from the start, which means that they will also be on par with the other big names like the Admirals, Shichibukai, etc. Not saying they'll definitely win over them, but they should be able to at least hold their own. The monster trio grew in strength at an impossible pace in the first half of OP, but the Naruto characters in this fic have already completed the majority of their canon growth. Think about it— Team 7 have all gotten their major power boost during the Naruto timeskip, and in this fic they've also fought a war/rebellion. So despite the fact that Sakura and the Strawhats are of similar age, Sakura is nearing the end of her growth while the Strawhats are only in the beginning. It's only natural for her to be significantly stronger than the others at the beginning of the OP storyline.

As for pairings, I've decided to keep it mostly gen. The most I'll do is probably hinted romance.

Please review! Having me on fav and alert is nice, but I'd love to hear what you'd thought of the chapter! :)


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N**: Huge apologies for the exceptionally long wait. I've lost interest in both fandoms for a while and only recently started reading the manga again.

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Chapter 4: Run like the Devil's Behind You**_

* * *

Krieg swore as the pink–haired nin disappeared before he could ready his armor for attack. It seemed the Reaper still had a few tricks up her sleeve, even after her exhaustive fight with the legendary Shichibukai. Just when he'd thought being able to manipulate water was her only Devil Fruit ability, she managed to _disappear_ without a trace right in front of his eyes. A lone cherry blossom was left floating on the water, but other than that the sea remained as undisturbed as ever.

There was no sign of her anywhere.

Scowling, Krieg decided to turn his attention to his other nemesis for the time being, and smirked as he caught sight of the swordsman on his knees aboard his coffin-shaped raft, his right arm hanging limply at his side. Whatever Pinkie did, it seemed Hawkeyes won't regain use of his dominant sword arm for a while. Grinning sadistically, Krieg carefully took aim with his giant bazooka and taunted, "Not so tough now, are you? Ha! Never thought I'd see the world's greatest swordsman get beaten half to death by _a girl with pink hair_."

Hawkeyes gritted his teeth and didn't bother with a reply, choosing instead to assess the damage his raft had sustained in the fight. There was some pretty significant damage to the starboard, but she could probably still last another day or two in the relatively calm waters of East Blue. The closest town with a marine base was roughly three days away, but it would have to do.

"What's the rush?" Krieg taunted. "Don't you want my head?"

The swordsman didn't even spare a glance in the Krieg's direction as he continued his preparations. If the scum's galleon was still intact, Hawkeyes would've gladly rid the world of the pirate and make the journey on his vessel instead. But as things were, Krieg was without a ship, without a crew, and there was no longer any appeal in taking down East Blue's former tyrant. He had already gotten his fun for the day, and there was no sense further aggravating his injuries over someone so trivial.

A vein throbbed dangerously on Krieg's head as he fumed at being so blatantly ignored. "Fine," he snarled, "walk away. But before you do…" he pulled the trigger, "…DIE!"

Hawkeyes whirled around and, despite his weakened state, sliced Krieg's bullets cleanly in half with a single wave of his sword. "Fool," he sighed in irritation, bring his sword up with his left arm to silence the arrogant pirate once and for all, "haven't you learned your lesson!"

The impact of his slash generated a wave at least 10 feet high and sent what little remained of Krieg's crew flying through the air. Hawkeyes saw Krieg lose his footing for a second and took the chance to disappear in the chaos. Steering his raft in the direction of Loguetown, Hawkeyes leaned against the mast and closed his eyes to help ease the torrents of pain shooting down his arm. He was no medical expert, but even he could tell that if he didn't get medical attention fast the damage could very well become permanent… if it hasn't already. Coughing up a mouthful of blood, he moved to wipe his mouth with his arm and was once again reminded of the possibility that he may never hold a sword again when his arm still refused to move. Fisting his palm in frustration, Hawkeyes gripped _Kokuto Yoru_ with his left hand and swore on his honor to get revenge.

The Reaper, whoever she may be, was going to die by his blade the next time they meet… no matter what.

* * *

Sakura coughed violently and grimaced as blood continued to ooze from her side despite her best efforts to stem the flow. Cursing her low reserves for the hundredth time, Sakura resolved to jump straight back into her old training regimen the minute she gets out of this mess. Her medical ninjutsu was legendary, having even surpassed her mentor's skills at mending bones and healing tissue, but what's the use if she ran out of chakra halfway through a battle and couldn't even use her skills to save herself?

Through her haze of pain, Sakura vaguely noted a strangely salty scent in the air and wondered if she had ended up on the coast of Loguetown instead of inside _The Halcyon _as she had intended. However, there was no sound of the telltale waves of an ocean shore, nor any of the busy chatter that always occupied Loguetown's hectic port. With a sinking feeling in her heart, Sakura struggled to open her eyes and regain enough awareness to assess her current location. The sight that greeted her made her damn her lowly reserves to the seventh hell and beyond.

Her last jutsu had failed. While she had meant to flicker hundreds of miles away to the center of Loguetown's mercenary underground, she had only managed a few miles to the deck of Baratie. Out of chakra, out of soldier pills, and her body on the verge of collapse, Sakura realized for the first time that she was completely and utterly screwed as she stared straight into the barrel of Gin's 9mm pistol.

* * *

"Sanji, look out!"

The blonde chef didn't heed the warning and resolutely willed his body to stay still as he prepared for 400 pounds of iron to slam into his flesh. _I can't fight back, _he repeated the phrase in his head, _for the sake of the old man, don't you dare move a muscle! _

However, the force that did slam into him was considerably lighter than he'd expected Krieg's giant mace to be, and… somewhat rubbery? With a sinking feeling in his heart, Sanji turned to his rescuer and let out a frustrated yell. "I told you not to interfere, Luffy! This isn't your fight, and now because you've saved me Gin is going to kill Zeff!"

In a rather uncharacteristic show of aggression, Luffy clocked Sanji straight on the jaw and screamed right back at him.

"Take a closer look at the situation before you go around sacrificing yourself, damn it!" Yanking the taller boy roughly to his feet, Luffy pointed in the direction of Krieg's right-hand man before grinning and clapping Sanji on the back. "See, the old man and nee-chan have everything under control!"

Sanji blinked as he took in the scene in front of him. While Gin had held his mentor at gunpoint mere moments ago, he now lay crippled on the ground, clutching his right leg where three of his own bullets remain embedded. Zeff shot a cross look at the pirate before knocking him out cold with a swift axe kick to the head. Luffy's 'nee-chan' was nowhere in sight.

"What happened?" the blonde chef asked in bewilderment, even as he and Luffy rejoined the fight.

"Nee-chan appeared out of nowhere and knocked into Zeff," the other boy grinned, describing the fight with dramatic hand gestures while leaving a pile of bodies in his wake. "Gin had her at gunpoint for a second before Zeff took the opportunity to kick him through the air, and nee-chan grabbed his gun and shoot him through the leg. And then she just disappeared again, like smoke! It was _awesome_."

Sanji breathed a sigh of relief before a grin of his own split across his face. "Well then, now that we don't have old man Zeff to worry about anymore, what do you say we cut loose and beat these losers back to where they came from?"

* * *

It has been quite some time since Sakura had last felt so vulnerable, and she did not like the reminder one bit.

Crouching behind the stump of the destroyed mast, Sakura sighed once more while idly shooting another of Krieg's henchman that had ventured too close. Although she was still armed with Gin's pistol and had her own in reserve, Sakura couldn't help but feel slightly helpless as she hid from Krieg and his heavy machinery. With the last remnants of her chakra drained by her failed teleportation jutsu and her stomach wound only half healed, Sakura's movements had slowed considerably, and she wasn't quite sure she would be able to escape Krieg's missiles in her condition if he'd turn his full attention on her.

"Your own fault for not planning a proper escape," she muttered disdainfully to herself, feeling her clip empty and not bothering to reload, grabbing the incoming pirate's gun instead and shooting him straight in the chest before he'd even noticed his pistol was gone. She _could_ loosen her Byakugou Seal and tap into almost five years worth of saved chakra, but she'd resolved not to depend on the seal's power unless it was truly a life or death situation. _Maybe you're losing your touch_, Sakura thought gloomily, _it's not like you to go in without a backup plan. _This place had not only made her skills rusty, she realized with dismay, but it was starting to make her mind dull too.

"Where are you Pinkie?" Krieg's maniacal voice drifted over unpleasantly from the other side of the ship. "Come out come out and play!"

Sakura grimaced before sinking lower against the mast, careful to keep her presence out of Krieg's sight as her mind worked on a contingency plan. Bullets wouldn't be able to penetrate Krieg's armor, and without chakra her tanto was just an ordinary sword. Sure, the quality steel could probably still cut through whatever Krieg's armor was made out of, but Sakura wasn't sure she could get close enough to get in a real shot with her current injuries. Her reflexes were faster than most even without any chakra enhancements, but was she faster than bullets and everything else Krieg had in his arsenal? Perhaps, but Sakura never did like to gamble if she could help it.

Before she could decide on a course of action, however, a loud, presumptuous voice proclaimed confidently, "That's my nakama you're attacking… and a captain always protects his crew!"

Sakura watched in slight amazement as the rubber boy charged straight at the ridiculously armed pirate, dodging out of the way of the larger projectiles and bouncing the smaller bullets right back at Krieg with his rubber body. She'd known there were some devil fruits out there that granted their users outrageous abilities, but the sheer medical impossibility of the straw-hat boy still caught her off guard. Sakura couldn't help but wonder how something as innocuous as a fruit can change the entirety of one's body chemistry. A look of astonishment crossed her face as she marveled at how the boy's arm must have stretched at least fifty feet to land a solid blow to Krieg's head.

In her surprise, several of Krieg's men had taken the opportunity to get over the broken mast that she'd been using as a makeshift fort, and took the chance to shower her with a barrage of bullets. Sakura cursed inwardly before deftly flipping backwards behind them, movements a mere blur to the untrained eye as she easily knocked out the mediocre pirates with basic Academy taijutsu. However, her slight lapse in awareness had cost her, for Krieg had finally caught sight of her and had launched what looked to be a giant bazooka in her direction. Sakura's eyes narrowed as she tightened her grip on her tanto, preparing to take a page out of Hawkeyes' book and simply slice the giant missile in half. She was briefly taken by surprise when the missile separated into a thousand tiny pieces of shrapnel, but even as she prepared a small Kawarimi to get out of harm's way, a straw hat obscured her view. Sakura watched in half fascination and half disbelief as Luffy's body ballooned instantly in front of her, harmlessly reflecting the shrapnel before he returned to his normal size.

"You didn't have to do that," she muttered at last, sheathing her sword absentmindedly as she focused on the straw-hat boy in front of her. "I had it under control."

Luffy only gave a wide grin in response. "Crewmembers always look out for each other, nee-chan!" he smiled, "And I already told you, I want you on my crew!"

Despite her impassive exterior, Sakura was impressed with the boy's persistence. She was also unwittingly reminded of her genin days, when she had been too weak to do anything except rely on her teammates to protect her. Luffy really was like a miniature replica of Naruto, Sakura thought idly, watching with an inscrutable expression as the straw-hat boy charged at Krieg once more, powering through each weapon his opponent threw at him with unrelenting determination. Every time the boy stumbled, he just got right back up and jumped straight back in. Not much in this new world had managed to impress Sakura so far, but the boy's iron will and determination was really something else.

Perhaps it was the boy's likeness to her old teammate, or perhaps it was the fact that he had been willing to put his own life on the line to save her, but _something_ about the boy prompted Sakura into action as Krieg released his trump card, a poison gas grenade he called MH5. Sakura didn't know enough about the compound to come up with a proper antidote in time, but poisons in aerated form were easily countered by wind. Despite the risk of severe chakra depletion, Sakura pulled deep within her reserves and called forth a powerful blast of air to wash the poison away. It was unfortunate that her act managed to save all of Krieg's henchmen as well, but there was nothing to be done about it. Despite her superior chakra control giving her more expertise than most over low-level jutsu, wind wasn't her affinity and she wasn't nearly skilled enough to isolate the technique to individual targets.

Regardless, further intervention on her part was no longer necessary. Luffy was slowly but steadily plummeting Krieg into unconsciousness, and Sakura turned swiftly back inside to address her own wounds. The gash on her side had started bleeding again, and she was starting to get slightly light-headed. Knowing that she couldn't risk using any more chakra without losing consciousness entirely, Sakura sighed, before she unsealed her medical pouch and resigned herself to more traditional—and painful—methods.

* * *

"What do we have, boys?" the head of emergency medicine asked tiredly, pulling on the proffered gloves as he turned to examine the newest body on the gurney.

"Asphyxia and pulmonary arrest," one of his newer interns offered, eager to impress. "No pulse. The medics that brought him in found him by the docks with broken pieces of a raft. Seems like your standard drowning. We just need you to call time of death."

The doctor frowned as he poked the body. "Anyone identify him yet?"

His crowd of interns shook their heads, but one did offer a very interesting piece of information.

"No, but he was found with _this_." Following his line of sight to the large, seven-foot sword leaning menacingly against the opposite wall, the doctor felt his heart drop as recognition dawned on his eyes.

"Out of my way!" he cursed, frantically hooking the still man to a multitude of machines and barely breathing a sigh of relief as the heart monitor finally registered a weak pulse after a _very_ long pause. It was totally understandable that his interns had assumed the man to be dead; his breathing and heartbeat had slowed to barely detectable levels, and his body temperature was comparable to those who'd suffered from severe hypothermia. Nevertheless, the aged doctor thanked his lucky stars for the man's resilience; he shuddered as he considered the pure amount of paperwork that would be required if one of the Shichibukai had died under his watch. It would be a bureaucratic nightmare, not to mention those World Government officials might actually take away his license for it.

Yelling out frantic instructions to his interns to page several of his best surgeons, the experienced doctor tried his best to stabilize the man. This was possibly the most difficult case of his thirty-year career; the doctor's eyes widened comically as he took in the full extent of the man's injuries. One of his lungs had collapsed completely, and his heart was very close to shutting down completely. There was a sizable stab wound to the right side of his chest, and judging from the man's pallor he had lost a significant amount of blood already. The patient was also jaundiced, which suggests at least some degree of liver failure. He could also see severe internal bleeding coming from the bruising in the man's right shoulder, and something within his blood seems to have given it a dark purplish tint. If this was a normal case, they would have long given up and simply called time of death.

But this wasn't any normal John Doe, this was Dracule "Hawkeyes" Mihawk, and the government would definitely have his license revoked if he didn't at least _try_ to save him. A very stressful three hours in the operating room later, they had finally managed to stabilize the Shichibukai. Loguetown's most elite surgical team had successfully inflated the patient's collapsed lung and stitched together the hole in his chest, and his heart was starting to regain a semi-regular rhythm again with the shitload of drugs they'd pumped into him. The arm, however… well, the doctor had never seen anything like it. Despite the perfect condition of the skin, all the vessels and nerves underneath had been cleanly severed, and what's worse was the nerves had already started to die, making reattachment impossible. They'd reconnected the major blood vessels, but for some reason the arm had refused to regain blood flow. It was one of the most bizarre things the doctor had ever seen, and the patient wasn't even a Fruit user.

"Get Captain Smoker on the phone," he gestured to one of his aides, scribbling down some last minute instructions on Hawkeyes' chart. "And bring this sample to the lab, we need to know exactly what's in the poison if we're going to have any hope of saving him."

The poison had to be the most problematic of the Shichibukai's many afflictions. It was a wide-acting poison, and seemingly affected all the vital organs, shutting them down slowly but surely. They were able to keep the man alive for the moment with artificial stimulants, but the poison had already done a quite a number on him, and the doctor wouldn't be surprised if there would be permanent damage even if they had successfully administer an antidote. Without an antidote, it would take a miracle for the Shichibukai to last the week.

"Bloody pirates," he muttered disdainfully, mentally cursing his misfortune before heading up the stairs to report the situation to the Marines.

* * *

"Smoker-san, thank god you're back!"

The white-haired marine captain barked some final instructions to his crew before turning to face his flustered apprentice. Tashigi had immense potential, but like most child prodigies, her personality left much to be desired. There was always that one or two character flaws that detracted severely from their usefulness, and in Tashigi's case her clumsiness and lack of common sense was going to be the death of him someday.

"I've only been gone for three days, Tashigi, and you're already running around like a headless chicken," Smoker admonished, ignoring the indignant look the younger woman shot him. "What's the problem?"

Tashigi pushed up her glasses before hurrying to catch up with her captain. Once they were safely within the confines of his office, she forced herself to remain calm as she gave her report.

"Dracule Mihawk, one of the Shichibukai, was found half-dead on the east coast two days ago. The doctors managed to stabilize him, but he has yet to regain consciousness. According to the head surgeon, he was found with extensive injuries, including an unidentified poison that is slowly shutting down his life functions. The doctors estimate that he has at most a week to live, unless an antidote can be found. The research labs have finally broke down the individual components of the poison earlier this morning, but it's one that they've never seen before and they are having immense difficulty in coming up with an antidote; something about how the counters to each component will form another poisonous substance. Hawkeyes also appears to have lost function of his right arm, but we won't know for sure until he wakes up. I have informed headquarters of his condition, and they have been quite adamant that Hawkeyes report directly to the fleet admiral."

Smoker was silent for a long time, before giving a low whistle that abruptly turned into full-blown laughter. Ignoring Tashigi's confused expression, Smoker took a deep drag on his cigar as his disbelieving chuckles died down. "I can't believe it," he said, a note of grudging respect in his tone, "Pinkie actually bested Hawkeyes."

"Sir?" Tashigi asked uncertainly, thoroughly confused at her captain's behavior.

"You know of the rising assassin, codenamed Reaper?" he asked instead, watching as his subordinate slowly connected the dots.

"You think she is the one who did this?" Tashigi asked, a skeptical look crossing her face. "Why would the Reaper go after a Shichibukai?"

Smoker watched carefully for her reaction. "Because," he paused dramatically, "I told her to."

At Tashigi's silent question, Smoker took another deep drag on his cigar before explaining. "The Reaper wants something from the central database, and in exchange she has been doing some recon work for me. When I caught wind that Hawkeyes had followed the Krieg pirates back to the East Blue, I sent her after him in the hopes that Hawkeyes will eliminate her."

It was a rather unorthodox and underhanded solution, but Tashigi could understand why her captain wanted the assassin dead. Unlike the other mercenaries who generally steered clear of government officials and political targets, the Reaper _specialized_ in high-profile assassinations that no one else will touch. The marines had quite a few theories about her motivations, and most of them pointed to a political agenda that could potentially upset the current delicate balance.

"But Captain," Tashigi began hesitantly, "what if the Reaper eliminated Hawkeyes?" She did not need to point out the obvious and voice that the infamous swordsman definitely did not come out on top.

Smoker scoffed. "Then we are short one Shichibukai, which those up top with replace with another despicable pirate who will abuse his position without fear of consequence. We're not exactly short on those now, are we?"

Tashigi didn't know what to say to that. Sure, the Shichibukai were former pirates and most did abuse their power, but they were still their allies. She wouldn't have felt a thing if the Shichibukai had been eliminated as a result of a random encounter with a more powerful opponent, but to purposefully send an assassin after him? That seemed to go against everything the Marines stood for, but before she could object, a loud _ring ring ring! _shrilled from Smoker's Den Den Mushi.

"Smoker," said captain grunted, cigar still hanging from his mouth. Tashigi watched silently as Smoker nodded roughly in response to what was said, before hanging up the call without another word.

"That was Fleet Admiral Sengoku," Smoker informed her, getting to his feet. "We have orders to transport Hawkeyes back to Marineford, where he'll be placed under the care of more experienced medics. Get the S5 battleship ready, we leave first thing tomorrow morning."

_The order couldn't have come at a better time, _he thought to himself. _A deal is a deal, and I am a man of my word. Pinkie held up her end, and it's time for me to do the same._

* * *

"You know, I think I'm actually going to miss those bastards." Sanji said wistfully, lighting another cigarette as he watched the Baratie restaurant slowly fade into the distance.

"I miss them already," Luffy sighed, a dreamy look crossing his face. "All that delicious meat…."

Sanji shook his head slightly in disbelief. He was a first class chef, and even he wasn't so single-mindedly focused on food. "Where are we going, anyway?" he asked, eager to reunite with his lovely Nami-san.

Luffy scrunched his face as he tried to remember what Yosaku had said. "Some place called Arlong Park," he exclaimed at last, grinning as he recalled what the pirate hunter had said about fish people and mermaids. "I can't wait to meet an actual mermaid!" Then, Luffy's eyes widened comically as a metaphorical light bulb lit up in his head.

"Wait, do you think nee-chan could be a mermaid? That could explain how she can stand on water and summon water dragons and stuff!"

The appreciative leer on Sanji's face left no mystery to his thoughts as he pictured the deadly pink-haired mercenary in nothing but a seashell bikini top. His grin stretched even further as he pictured Nami with her, dressed in similarly risqué attire.

"Don't be ridiculous," a voice cut in dryly from atop the mast, snapping Sanji out of his fantasy. "Can you honestly see me with a tail?"

At Luffy's enthusiastic exclamation of "Nee-chan, you're back!", Sakura sighed in exasperation at the boy's lack of awareness before allowing a small smile of her own to slip on her face.

"You know," Sakura added, almost as an afterthought. "You really need to stop calling me nee-chan. It makes me feel uncomfortably responsible."

"Ne, ne, does this mean you're joining our crew, nee-chan?" Luffy asked eagerly, jumping up and down in his excitement.

"The name's Haruno Sakura," she inclined her head slightly, and smiled.

"…Captain."

* * *

**A/N**: And that ends the intro! Sakura joins the Straw Hats, as expected. And Hawkeyes is alive! (for now :P)

Random Musings (feel free to skip, but I feel like I owe my readers an explanation for not updating in forever)

I have finally figured out the source of my writer's block. Before, I was writing this while having the OP manga open, to make sure I don't screw up anything in canon. However, that made writing anything very tedious and took all the fun out of it, so I am now working purely from memory as far as the OP scenes go. It's been almost 4 years since I've read the OP manga, so if any character appears OOC, please tell me. Also, I've decided to just gloss over any OP scenes that occur exactly as they do in canon, so if I skip a key development-relevant scene in OP, it's on purpose and you can just assume that it happened exactly like the manga.

About the first fifth of this chapter was written two years ago, so I apologize if it feels kinda choppy.

Also, I've made some pretty significant changes to the overarching story line, so expect to see a new Naruto-verse character in the next chapter or two.

That's all for now, remember to review and tell me what you think so far!


	6. Interlude 1

**A/N: **The first of the flashback chapters I was talking about. Expect one at the end of every OP arc, each centered on a Naruto character that will eventually show up in the main fic.

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Interlude One: Code Orange**_

* * *

**def**: Warning of:

(1) A bomb threat  
(2) A radioactive spill  
(3) A potentially violent person with mental issues in the hospital; show of force needed  
(4) External disaster with mass casualties

* * *

_1 year 10 months prior to current story timeline, some unknown island in the Grand Line.  
_

* * *

He had no idea where he was.

Everything had gone to hell in the span of five seconds, and he could no longer separate imagination from reality.

He was vaguely aware of some large, heavy green substance chaining him down, but aside from that the room was empty. Several machines beeped morbidly in concert, and Naruto felt oddly empty as his eyes blinked open, staring in confusion at his surroundings.

Ice. As far as he could see. Meters and meters thick, in every single direction.

Naruto frowned as he disconnected the cords attached to his body, trying to make sense of the situation.

No matter how he looked at it, he was trapped, in what appeared to be the bottom of a frozen lake, with solid ice caging him in from every which direction. It made up the walls, the floor, and the ceiling.

A wave of panic seized him, heightened by the incessant whine of the heart rate monitor. With an absentminded swipe of his hand, Naruto punched the machine into scrap, and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he tried to calm himself and connect with his inner passenger for answers.

_Kyuubi?_

No response.

Naruto frowned, descending further into his mindscape as he took sight of the destruction. His mind had always been a bit of a mess, but there was something eerie about the ripped walls, the wealth of rubble on the ground, and the dark crimson tint the water had taken on.

Naruto sucked in a breath of surprise as he finally turned the corner onto the corridor facing the cage.

And saw that it was _no longer there._

The cage was gone. Bars bent out of shape, half the walls ripped off. Naruto felt panic rise again as he sank against the ground, images of red clouds and spinning Sharingan eyes haunting his mind. He grasped desperately at the memories, but they remained elusively out of reach.

"What the fuck happened?" he muttered, not willing to believe that the Akatsuki had finally succeeded in extracting the Kyuubi from his body. He did remember fighting against Madara and his revived Akatsuki army, but beyond that, all he could recall was pain.

Wait. He could _somewhat_ remember getting captured and lying at the feet of the statue, but if they had succeeded, how is he still alive?

"And where the hell is this place?"

Before he could think any further, a disturbance in the ice shook Naruto out of his thoughts. Pleased to find that over half of his chakra remained intact, Naruto steeled himself as one of the ice walls parted, revealing a very tall man with curly black hair, dressed almost entirely in white. An image of what looks to be a seagull rested on his bandanna, and Naruto briefly searched his memories for any village with a similar insignia, but came up blank.

Naruto cleared his throat.

"Who are you?"

The man didn't reply, merely stared at him wearily as he took in his appearance, slight disbelief in his eyes as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"What do you want from me?" Naruto asked again, eyes narrowing as the taller man studied him. He was in no mood for games, and for the other man to have control over such a massive amount of ice, he was clearly not one to be taken lightly.

The man stared at him calculatingly for a bit longer, before finally introducing himself, gesturing to the ice surrounding them as he did so.

"My name is Kuzan Aokiji, I am an Admiral for the Marines, and you are under arrest for the destruction of Marineford."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, but waited for 'Aokiji' to finish.

"We are currently 2,000 meters under the sea, and I have frozen everything in a three-mile radius, so don't even think about trying to escape."

"As impressive as that is," Naruto cut in sharply, liking the situation less and less as he took in the admiral's condescending tone, "you have the wrong man. I have no idea what this 'Marineford' is, and I can assure you I have no hand in its destruction."

"No," Aokiji agreed, "perhaps 'man' is the wrong word here. You are the _fox_ that leveled our base to the ground."

Naruto felt his blood run cold at those words, but took care not to let his apprehension show. It was impossible, what this man was saying. He couldn't even _feel_ the Kyuubi anymore, so how can the fox be the cause of Marineford's destruction?

"Listen mister," Naruto replied with a hard edge to his voice, "I don't know who you think you are or what game you think you're playing, but you are walking on _very_ thin ice and if you don't want me to _really_ level your precious Marineford to the ground, then you'll let me go. Right now."

Aokiji raised a brow. "On the contrary," he began dryly, "we are standing on 1,000 meters of solid ice, and you have_ already_ leveled Marineford. I don't know what Devil Fruit you ate or where you came from, but I have seen stranger things than an eight-tailed fox, and until the Gorosei have decided on a date for your execution, I _will_ keep you locked up here if it's the last thing I do."

Before Naruto could get over his shock at this new piece of information, Aokiji pressed a button, and a powerful combination of Magellen's most potent poison instantly filled the room. The last thing Naruto saw was the endless transparency of ice as his head hit the ground, slipping once more into a deep drug-induced coma.

* * *

**A/N: **And Naruto makes his first appearance, albeit in flashback form. Hopefully this wasn't too confusing— it takes place after they escaped to the OP world, but before the main story began and Sakura made contact with the Straw Hats. Remember this fic is AU from chapter 400-something in the manga.

This isn't what I was referring to when I said that a Naruto character will show up soon btw. I had to rethink the pace of the story, and decided I didn't want to reveal everything in flashbacks within the main story, hence this little interlude. A Naruto _item_ will show up in the next chapter as Sakura and the Straw Hats head to Arlong's Park (can you guess what it is?), and a legit Naruto character will show up in the main story in the chapter after that. More about the time continuum I touched on in chapter 3 will also be revealed in the next chapter.

Please read and review!


	7. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Glad to see people like the interlude with Naruto last chapter, more will be revealed in time.

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Chapter 5: Deep Under Water**_

* * *

If there was one thing that attracted marines and pirates alike like moths to a flame, it was money.

The infamous Arlong leaned back with a smirk as the captain of the 16th division marines counted his cut eagerly, his rat-like demeanor shining through stronger than ever as he breathed in the scent of pure, cold cash.

These despicable humans may preach of justice and order, but when it came down to it, _everyone_ had a price. For a measly sum of 2 million beli a month, Captain Nezumi had been all too happy to turn a blind eye to the pillaging of over 20 islands. What the captain didn't know, of course, was that his payment barely made up 5% of his crew's total profits.

Stupidity and greed were indeed an unfortunate combination. For Nezumi, of course.

"Problem, Captain?" Arlong questioned, a slight edge to his voice as he watched the marine's shifty little eyes narrow in deliberation. Nezumi had never had the guts to negotiate for more money before, but perhaps there was a first time for everything.

"As I am sure you're aware," Nezumi began carefully, "recent events have led the World Government to pay more and more attention to our little corner of the sea. With the high-profile assassination of Takada last month and the Reaper's recent run-in with one of the Shichibukai, headquarters has been tightening their leash and it has become significantly harder to keep your… _exploits_ under wraps."

Swallowing thickly at Arlong's impatient get-to-the-point glare, Nezumi quickly continued, "The entire East Blue division is under deep scrutiny, and I was hoping we could come to a more… reasonable agreement."

Arlong took his time before answering, and when he did, his words chilled Nezumi to the bone.

"Tell me, _Captain_," Arlong intoned mockingly, grinning a mouth full of razor sharp teeth as said marine squirmed uncomfortably. "What _price_ would you place on your life?"

Nezumi paled visibly.

"I was merely hoping to suggest a _slight_ modification to our business arrangement—"

"Because," Arlong sneered wickedly, "human scum like you are ridiculously easy to come by. There is nothing stopping me from snapping your neck like a twig and offering your replacement the same deal. If he's too greedy or too righteous, well, I'll just have to keep killing them until I find one that has the sense to take my _very_ generous offer."

"Of course," Nezumi nodded frantically, sweating bullets as he became aware of Arlong's officers closing in behind him. "I don't know what came over me, I'll be sure to find a way to handle the situation—"

"Excellent." Arlong grinned, and waved for Hatchan to take the disgusting spineless human away from his palace. Nezumi all but ran from the park, and Arlong couldn't resist throwing in one last threat to his cowardly partner in crime.

"Oh, and Nezumi? If this 'Reaper' is the source of our problems, then I suggest you find a way to eliminate him, before I eliminate _you_."

* * *

"Wow… what the hell do you think happened here?"

Zoro grimaced before straightening from his seated position and joining Usopp at the edge of the rails. The slug—creature—_thing_ had disappeared in a puff of smoke a while ago, after proclaiming there was nothing more it could do for him. To its credit, it _had_ managed to stop the bleeding for the most part, and thankfully Johnny had the sense to stock the emergency boat with a first aid kit. He would probably still be lying on the ground unconscious from blood loss if not for the pink-haired woman's pet, and Zoro sighed inwardly as he added that to the growing list of times she'd saved his life.

Catching sight of what had Usopp so transfixed, Zoro sucked in a breath of surprise as he took in the ruined village. Deep claw-like trenches ran in the ground, and rows of houses were quite literally turned upside down. For the first time, the swordsman found himself thinking along the same lines as the liar—just _what_ the hell had happened here?

"I think this is Gosa village," Johnny muttered lowly after getting over his shock. "Arlong's Park should be close by."

Usopp swallowed thickly before laughing nervously. "Well, this Arlong seems like quite a piece of work. Maybe we should wait for Luffy before—"

"Don't be stupid," Zoro cut him off. "Luffy trusted us to get Nami back, and even though I don't think that witch is worth the trouble, I'm not going to go back on my word just because you're scared."

"I'm not scared," Usopp defended weakly, deciding to try a different tactic. "What makes you so sure she's at Arlong's Park anyway?"

"Because she was staring at his wanted poster before she took off with… wait, isn't that the Going Merry?"

Usopp followed Zoro's line of sight and let out a breath of relief at the sight of the Merry, safely docked at the far end of the island. "Well," he said with false cheer, I guess this means we won't have to go to Arlong's Park anymore."

"And just what exactly were you planning on doing at the boss's palace?" A voice rumbled from beneath their tiny boat. Usopp let out a squeak of surprise as an octopus fishman surfaced, towering well above the height of a normal human even halfway submerged in water.

"We're looking for a friend," Zoro supplied, tightening his grip on his sword as a precaution.

"A friend?" Hatchan blinked, and a figurative light bulb lit up as he clapped his hands together in realization. "Ah, you must be talking about Arlong's guests."

"Yes!" Usopp interjected before Zoro could ruin their chance at peacefully entering the lair of East Blue's most dangerous pirate. "My friend here has no sense of direction," he laughed, pointing at an irate Zoro, "and we got lost. You think you can point us to Arlong's Park?"

"Of course! I'll even give you a ride."

Usopp laughed nervously once more, and prayed that this wasn't a mistake.

* * *

Sakura almost choked on her drink as she stared at the piece of paper Yosaku held up.

"_That's_ Arlong?"

"Don't worry, Sakura-san," Sanji proclaimed dramatically, "I'll be sure to protect you from this hideous fiend!"

"Ah… no, that's quite alright," the Leaf-nin replied absentmindedly, still trying to process what her eyes were seeing. In the two years she'd spent in the East Blue, she had never ventured to Gosa village or Cocoyashi village, and as such had only heard rumors of the notorious fishmen crew. She'd always thought descriptions of their appearances were grossly exaggerated, but it seemed "fishman" was as accurate a description as any.

"Oh god," she muttered to herself, feeling a little sick. "I think I just found Hoshigaki Kisame's long-lost brother."

"Who's that?" Luffy asked curiously, looking up from the numerous plates of food Sanji had prepared. "Nee-chan, have you _met_ a fishman before?"

"…You could say that," Sakura replied hesitantly, not sure of the answer herself. Kisame was blue and had gills, but fishmen didn't exist in the Elemental Nations. From what Luffy and Sanji had told her, there was an entire _island_ with different species of fishmen and mermaids, deep in the Grand Line. She had always figured Kisame was the product of a bizarre Kiri bloodline, or perhaps the result of some sick experiment, but if he _did_ come from this Fishman Island… well, it would certainly explain his appearance and monstrous strength.

It would also mean there was definitely a way back from the Grand Line to the Elemental Nations. How else could Kisame have ended up in Kiri?

Sakura felt her spirits lift a little at this revelation. She still had a mountain of unanswered questions, like how her two swords were supposedly over 800 years old when she knew for a fact that Naruto had commissioned it barely ten years ago, but more and more evidence was beginning to point in the direction of the Elemental Nations existing somewhere in the Grand Line. The time discrepancy was alarming, but at least she hadn't been sent to another realm entirely.

In a better mood than she'd been in years, Sakura closed her eyes and spread out her senses, thinking perhaps the sea wasn't so bad after all.

Only to snap her eyes open in alarm, as she became aware of a gigantic creature circling beneath them, growing increasingly restless. And sure enough, mere moments after she'd managed a quick warning to Luffy and the others, a giant sea cow surfaced, growling dangerously like a beast possessed.

"Wow—look at the _size_ of that thing!" Luffy's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Let's eat it!"

"Is that honestly _all_ you think about?" Sanji sighed, blowing out a puff of smoke disinterestedly. "I swear, that's your reaction to _everything_."

Sakura arched a brow as she watched the two bicker. Was she the only one seeing the impending threat? Perhaps it was because of her proximity to the creature at the top of the mast, but the sea cow seemed disturbingly fixated on her.

"Guys," Yosaku cut in wearily, "that thing isn't from around here. It's a Grand Line monster. I think we should run—"

"Awesome!" Luffy interjected, an excited grin on his face as he swung his arm in the sea cow's direction. "I can't wait to go to the Grand Line if there are monsters like that to eat!"

Sakura suppressed a laugh at Luffy's response. She was quickly learning that warnings often have the opposite intended effect on her fearless captain, and yes, everything in his mind _was_ somehow related to meat.

Grinning slightly as she dodged the sea cow's surprisingly sharp teeth, Sakura once again had the feeling that something wasn't quite right. Luffy's punch had hit the sea cow dead center, but he didn't knock it out entirely. The sea cow swayed for a moment, before straightening and launching itself at her.

At her. Luffy's punch had made it angrier, but it didn't go after him. Instead, it went after _her._

There was _definitely_ something weird going on here.

Frowning slightly, Sakura deftly flipped out of the way of its attack, running solidly on water as she led the monster to a safe distance away from the boat. She didn't have enough chakra to run the rest of the way to Arlong's Park, and it wouldn't do to have their only means of transportation destroyed.

Ignoring Luffy's pout as she led the sea cow away, Sakura pulled chakra to her feet and ran vertically up the monster's body, delivering a solid chakra-charged uppercut to its unprotected throat. The sea cow sputtered for a moment before finally coughing up a shower of razor-sharp scales, and finally flopped over, unconscious.

"You're supposed to leave some of the fun to us, nee-chan!" Luffy whined, but quickly moved on to brainstorming of ways to cook the beast.

Sakura's gaze was curious as she picked up a handful of the vomited scales, turning the ivory white pieces over in her hand. There was something familiar about the shape of the scales, but Sakura couldn't put her finger on what exactly. Perhaps the sea cow had ingested another sea king before it had attacked them?

Pocketing one of the scales to examine later, Sakura made her way back to the ship and discovered that Sanji had somehow convinced Luffy to use the sea cow to pull their ship along instead. The trio of Straw Hat pirates was able to make much better time with the creature dragging them along, and soon came across a series of three islands in the distance.

"Which of the three do you think Nami-san is at?" Sanji asked, eager to be reunited with the orange-haired beauty.

Sakura pulled out one of the maps she'd swiped from the Marine base in Loguetown. "The one closest to us should be Gosa village, the one in the middle is Cocoyashi village, and the last one… isn't on the map."

"Not on the map?" Sanji questioned, frowning in confusion. "Maybe your map's outdated?"

"Not likely. This map is from the Marines, which means they're either unaware of the last island… or someone is intentionally hiding it from the government."

Luffy's voice was curious as he squinted into the distance, "So that's probably Arlong's Park?"

"Makes sense," Sakura nodded in confirmation. "Arlong probably has some crooks within the marines helping him hide his base."

"Then full speed ahead to the last island?"

Before Sakura could reply, Sanji's voice cut in with alarm.

"You guys need to see this—Gosa village is completely destroyed."

"And that's… the Going Merry in between Gosa village and Cocoyashi village?"

It was indeed. There was something unsettling about Gosa's destruction, and Sakura breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Cocoyashi was more or less still intact.

"I think we should split up," Sakura looked to Luffy, waiting for his okay. "From everything Yosaku told us, Nami is probably at Arlong's Park, but something is going on in Gosa and Cocoyashi and I can go ahead and scout for more information before we barge in."

Luffy thought for a while, before shrugging and grinning. "Ok, we'll drop you off at Cocoyashi and rendezvous at Arlong's Park in two days time!"

* * *

After thirty years of service in the marines, not much can manage to surprise Fleet Admiral Sengoku anymore, least of all something from the weakest of all five seas.

"Are you telling me," Sengoku questioned coldly, "that even our best medical facility could not come up with an antidote to Hawkeyes' poison?"

His chief of medicine pocketed his glasses before fixing the admiral with an equally flat stare and answering with a simple "yes".

At Sengoku's irate glare, the doctor shrugged before offering the simplest explanation he can think of.

"We're dealing with a medical genius. Someone whose medical knowledge far exceeds my own."

"…And?"

"And there's nothing more we can do. The poison reacts adversely with _everything, _and we have exhausted all our options. The only thing I can think of at this point is if we overpower it with another poison, but the chances of that actually working without killing the patient is slim to none."

"How slim?"

"Less than 5%."

Sengoku was silent for a long time as he considered his options. On one hand, Hawkeyes was going to die soon if they don't do _something_, and while the loss of a Shichibukai was nothing to lose sleep over, the man had _information_. For some virtually unknown assassin in the East Blue to critically injure one of his strongest Shichibukai… that wasn't something that could be ignored. Not to mention, what little he _had_ managed to get out of Hawkeyes before he'd slipped back into his coma was troubling beyond belief.

Despite her impressive list of high-profile assassinations, there was surprisingly little information on the Reaper. All they knew was that the Reaper was young. No one knew her real name. Until the Hawkeyes incident, no one even knew she was a girl.

It was like she'd just appeared out of thin air two years ago. Always hiding in the shadows, just out of sight.

And no matter how much Sengoku wanted to turn a blind eye to this, her skill set and the peculiar circumstances surrounding her appearance were too familiar to ignore.

Sengoku absentmindedly rubbed the still-fresh scar on his chin, which began at his neck and spanned the entirety of his chest. The boy who had given him that wound had been truly incredible, and even in his deeply drugged state had managed to overpower Aokiji and break free from the most secure prison in the world.

The fleet admiral could remember the blonde-haired boy's escape attempt as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. That was the second time that boy had managed to make his life a living hell, and there was no way Sengoku could ever forget the astounding skills he had displayed while single-handedly overpowering his best soldiers.

The first time, he had turned into a nigh-unstoppable eight-tailed fox.

The second time, his skills were much more discreet, but no less impressive.

The ability to walk on water. Manipulate wind. Condense what looked to be pure energy into a swirling ball of power in his hand.

Hawkeyes may have written off this Reaper's skills as a Devil Fruit ability, but Sengoku knew better. Even if there _did_ exist a Mizu Mizu no Mi, there could not be two users with the same ability.

No, the Reaper… she was something else entirely. Something that had the potential to upturn the current balance of power, just like that blonde.

As such, it was absolutely critical that Hawkeyes told them all that he knew before he died.

Having made up his choice, Sengoku dismissed the doctor and ordered for Hawkeyes to be immediately transferred to Impel Down, where Magellan will be waiting with his most potent poison and its antidote.

"Are you sure that's the best choice?" A voice questioned coolly from the shadows, exhaling a deep stream of smoke before continuing. "We could potentially wake Hawkeyes up again with drugs and he could tell us something new. If Magellan's poison doesn't work, we lose our only source of intel on this new threat."

Sengoku eyed his protégé for a moment. Vice Admiral Aran had achieved his rank in a record-breaking two years, through his tactical aptitude more so than his combat abilities. It was what had brought the otherwise unremarkable young man to his attention in the first place, above hundreds of other promising new recruits. The kid had a brilliant mind, but for all his intellect and perception, it seemed his young protégé still has a ways to learn.

"Any information we could gleam from Hawkeyes under drug influence is unreliable," Sengoku explained. "Only when he's relatively healed can he be of use."

Vice Admiral Aran raised a brow, but didn't step forward, opting to remain in the shadows. "And you're wiling to take 20 to 1 odds?"

Sengoku sighed tiredly, and messaged his temples to ward off the oncoming headache.

"We don't exactly have much choice, do we? However, I'd still rather operate under no information than erroneous information."

* * *

Cocoyashi was a quaint little village, but there was a deep sense of despair in the air that betrayed its charm.

Sakura tried to think back on what little she'd heard about this place during her travels, and came up completely blank. Now that she'd thought about it, her work had never taken her to Cocoyashi, simply because there _was_ no work in Cocoyashi. That in itself was strange, because no matter how peaceful the village, there was _always_ someone who wanted something to help them get ahead, be it political or corporate espionage, escort or protection, or in more extreme cases, sabotage and assassination. For an entire village to exist completely off the grid… the inhabitants were either all saints, or in no position to hire outside help.

Judging by the frightened way everyone had retreated back to the safety of their homes when they caught sight of her, Sakura was willing to bet on the latter.

A strangled cry brought the Leaf nin's attention to the village center, and Sakura quietly crept up to the rooftops to get a better view of the commotion.

Eyes narrowing as she caught sight of Arlong ruthlessly throwing a human half his size around like a rag doll, Sakura made a split second decision and decided she'd seen enough.

With a burst of speed, Sakura broke through the ring of fishmen and stopped Arlong's arm in mid-strike, saving his heavily-scarred victim from almost certain death.

"You…" the infamous fishman frowned, as he tried and failed to overpower the puny pink-haired human that had appeared out of nowhere. "Who the hell are you?"

Sakura grinned, and easily forced the gigantic fishman back with a burst of chakra. Arlong was stronger than she'd expected, but she'd trained under the master of monstrous strength herself, and despite his size the pirate was nothing compared to what Tsunade used to throw at her.

"You alright, sir?"

Genzo slowly pushed himself to his feet, and raised his eyes to his savior. It was someone he'd never seen before, but he'd witnessed her show of strength, and for the first time in eight years the sheriff felt a small glimmer of hope.

"Thank—thank you." He wheezed, in between coughing fits of blood. "I'm Genzo, this village's sheriff."

"Well, sheriff," Sakura inclined her head in acknowledgement, "I have a favor to ask you."

Before she could elaborate, an enraged fishman fumed at being ignored and charged, aiming to skewer the newcomer with his nose. Sakura dodged out of the way and dragged Genzo with her, taking note of the deep crater Arlong had created where they'd stood seconds ago.

"How interesting," she smirked, "is that how you greet all your guests?"

Arlong narrowed his eyes but didn't respond to the taunt. This human had now managed to not only overpower him but also dodge his attack. She _looked_ human, but fishmen were a far superior race, and Arlong refused to believe someone so puny could actually overpower him in strength.

"Who and _what_ are you?"

"Just someone passing by," Sakura shrugged, before turning to Genzo and continuing as if the sawshark fishman hasn't just tried to kill them. "I need to use your den den mushi."

If Genzo was confused by her strange request, he didn't show it. "We don't have any left," he explained, sending a bitter glare to Arlong and his crew. "They were all confiscated eight years ago, when the pirates first came to our town."

"Oi, _human_," Arlong interrupted, face darkening dangerously at the way the girl dismissed him as a threat, "I asked you a question. And you better respond when your superiors ask you something."

Sakura simply arched a brow in amusement. "Superiors? Are you serious?"

"Us fishmen are a far superior race," Arlong proclaimed, feeling his anger rise again at the girl's mocking tone. "You humans were born to serve—"

Sakura didn't wait for him to finish. The fishman's racial superiority complex was starting to grate on her nerves, and his resemblance to the blue-skinned Akatsuki was stirring up old feelings of resentment. Sakura had grown much more level-headed since her teenage years, but every once in a while she still found herself giving in to her Inner Sakura persona when angered. In hindsight, it was a stupid move to attack Arlong when Nami's whereabouts and safety were still unknown, but in the heat of the moment Sakura only felt the need to shut the arrogant fish up.

Easily getting under Arlong's guard, Sakura delivered a bone-crushing kick to his knees and effortlessly slammed the fishman into the ground, knocking out his many rows of teeth with a single chakra-enhanced punch to the face. Arlong didn't stay down for long, and his teeth regrew much faster than she'd expected, but Sakura still felt a wave of satisfaction at the feel of bones shattering beneath her fist.

"Tell me," she smirked darkly, "do you _still _feel superior?"

Before Arlong could retaliate, a shrill voice brought both of their attentions to a familiar orange-haired figure standing at the far end of the square.

"Stop!" Nami's voice was livid. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

* * *

Arlong's Park was much more impressive than Luffy had expected, but despite the lavish furnishings, the place was utterly empty.

Save for the unconscious bodies everywhere, of course.

"What do you think happened here?" Luffy asked, poking one of the passed-out fishman with a stick. "Think it was Zoro?"

Sanji scoffed. The swordsman could barely walk when he'd left; there was no way he could be responsible for all this damage. Still… the deep slashes on the fishmen's bodies do point to the work of a swordsman...

"Mmhpph—"

"Hey, Sanji, look!" Luffy shouted excitedly over some debris, untying the gag around a still-conscious octopus fishman.

"How dare you humans trick me!" Hatchan sneered indignantly, "Untie me this instant!"

"We're looking for our friends," Luffy grinned good-naturedly, seemingly not aware of the daggers Hatchan was glaring at him, "One has orange hair, one has green hair, and the other has a really long nose. Oh, and one has pink hair, too. You can't miss them."

Sanji sweat dropped as he realized just how ridiculously colorful their little crew was. Maybe it was a good thing, as recognition dawned on Hatchan immediately.

"You guys are together with the green-haired swordsman? I'm going to kill you for what he did to my crew!"

"Told you it was Zoro," Luffy laughed, happy that his first mate was even more kick-ass than he'd thought. Turning back to Hatchan, Luffy asked with a grin, "So where'd he go?"

Hatchan glared, but reluctantly replied after a pause. "Cocoyashi village."

"Aww, but we just passed by there!"

"I can give you a ride," Hatchan tried again, hoping the boy was as gullible as he looked. "A fishman can get you there in no time. If you would just untie me..."

"No thanks," Luffy grinned, pointing at the shore where their boat was docked. "We've already got a ride."

Hatchan suppressed a groan as he followed Luffy's line of sight and saw their sea cow tied up like a pet. _At least Arlong would kill them when they get to Cocoyashi,_ he thought sourly, and cursed not learning how to untie knots as he watched the straw-hat boy skip away happily, leaving him trapped in his own base.

* * *

"We had a deal!" Nami screamed, taking in the state of destruction in the village square and Genzo's heavily bloodied form lying on the ground. "You promised to leave the village alone if I drew maps for you!"

Sakura watched silently in the background as Nami yelled indignantly at the fishmen. She was starting to put the pieces together. Arlong and his crew have obviously been terrorizing the town for years, and Nami was only doing what she thought was necessary to protect her village. It took courage to sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of your friends and family, and Sakura was suddenly glad Luffy never gave up on the girl.

Nami didn't give Arlong a chance to respond, rounding on Sakura instead. "And you!" she pointed accusingly, temporarily forgetting her fear in her rage. "What's the Reaper doing here anyway? We never did anything to you!"

"Nami-san," Sakura began quietly, trying to calm the distraught girl, "I think you're misunderstanding the situation. I'm here to help you."

"Help me? Why would a killer for hire want to help me?"

Sakura suppressed a flinch at the accusing gaze in the Nami's eyes. There was a time when she'd been equally horrified at the thought of taking someone else's life for money, but this was neither the time nor place to debate the ethics of her actions.

"I've temporarily agreed to join Luffy's crew, and he's quite adamant about getting you back. Something about only wanting you to be his navigator."

Nami's head lowered at her words, and Sakura didn't miss the look of surprise that crossed her eyes at the mention of the straw-hat boy, though what little hope she'd felt was quickly clouded over by misery when she glanced at Arlong. However, Nami's voice betrayed none of her inner turmoil, and her gaze was steely when she'd finally addressed her again.

"I don't need your help. Any of you. You'll just make things worse, so take your ship and get the hell off this island."

* * *

**A/N: **What did you all think? This is actually only half of what I'd planned, but I kept adding scenes and the chapter got so long I had to split it. The good thing is the next half is already done so there won't be a huge wait.

Nami is actually my favorite OP female character, but I didn't think there was much I could do with the Arlong arc at first. It was supposed to be just one chapter, then when I planned out each scene it turned into two, and when I started writing it ended up as three.

The order of events was switched around a little, but there was way too much back and forth in canon for me to write every single scene.

The only tie between fishmen and Naruto-verse I could think of is Kisame and Sameheda. So yeah, in this story, Kisame is a legit fishman from OP who somehow ended up in Kiri. How he got there will be touched on later. (Side question- what type of fishman do you think Kisame fits best?)

Sengoku indirectly reveals Naruto tried to break out once. But was he successful…? And who is Vice Admiral Aran?

Remember to review!


	8. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Second half of the chapter, as promised. Enjoy!

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Chapter 6: Deep Under Water Pt II**_

* * *

No matter how much he tried to deny it, Zoro was lost.

Despite having arrived at Cocoyashi with Usopp in tow, the long-nosed sharpshooter had somehow managed to disappear when he wasn't looking, and Zoro was left to navigate the never-ending woods by himself.

"No wonder Nami is such a good navigator," he muttered in irritation, "you have to be if you live in this maze."

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of walking, Zoro stumbled across a small cabin, cleverly hidden from the rest of town.

"Hey," he knocked, "anyone here?"

No answer. Zoro suppressed a growl of frustration as he debated whether or not he should keep walking. Risk getting lost for eternity, or wait until the owners come back?

Staring at the wide expense of trees in every which direction, Zoro swore as he realized he had no idea which direction he'd just come from, and resigned himself for an indefinite wait by the cabin.

* * *

Nami had not felt this conflicted since her mother died eight years ago.

She had long resigned herself to her fate, but she'd honestly believed she could get the rest of the village out from Arlong's tyrannical rule if she could just come up with the 100 million beli. She'd worked so hard, and came _so_ close… only for Arlong to betray her and destroy everything she'd worked for within the blink of an eye.

Just thinking about what'd just happened was enough to make her blood boil.

Barely minutes after she'd confronted Arlong for beating mayor Genzo within an inch of his life, a marine ship had shown up. Nami had immediately been wary of the rat-like marine's motives, as not once in eight years had the government ever stood up to Arlong or extended an offer of help.

And sure enough, her instincts were right on the money. The marine hadn't shown up to help them—he'd shown up to take away her life's savings.

She'd immediately accused him of working in concert with Arlong (how else could he have known the exact sum of her savings?), but beyond screaming at him there was little she could do.

To make matters worse, the only person who could potentially help her had chosen that precise moment to turn her back on her.

"_Let's call a truce and make a deal," the pink-haired mercenary proposed, "I'll show you where she'd hid her treasure, and in return I want my phone call."_

Nami had literally seen red when she'd heard this, and despite her best efforts couldn't stop the look of hurt and betrayal from showing on her face. The older woman may not have known this, but when she'd slammed Arlong into the ground, Nami had been unwittingly reminded of the only other person she'd seen stand up to the pirate.

Her silhouette from the back, the way she'd caught Arlong off-guard… it was a dead ringer for the time Bellemere had slammed Arlong to the ground and pointed a gun to his head.

And against her better judgment, Nami had begun to hope. Hope that someone could finally beat the despicable sawshark fishman back to the hole he'd crawled out of, and free her village for good.

This hope was strengthened by Luffy and the Straw Hat's declarations to help her, and she'd really believed them for a second. After all, Zoro had been willing to risk his life just to prove a point to her, and Sakura's strength had reminded her so _so_ much of her mother.

In the span of a few minutes, Nami had gone from feeling confused, to hopeful, to betrayed, to confused back again, once she'd realized Sakura was leading Nezumi and Arlong to the far left of her tangerine field, opposite to where she'd hidden her treasure.

She was careful to keep the confusion from showing on her face, but even so couldn't help her small gasp of surprise when the marines actually dug up a treasure chest, filled to the brim with beli.

Yet it was not her treasure. The hiding place was wrong, the chest itself was different… not to mention there was an even 100 million in there, and Nami knew she was still 17 million short.

To say she was confused would be an understatement. Luckily, Arlong seemed to have taken her shocked silence as an indication of her having given up for good, and only laughed as he and his crew made their way back to Arlong's Park, having collected what they came for.

Sakura had winked at her before following the fishmen, and whispered something so quietly Nami wasn't sure if she'd imagined it.

"_Always look underneath the underneath, Nami-san. There are people who would do anything to help you, but first you have to learn to let them."_

Lost in thought, Nami didn't notice the figure sleeping on her doorstep until she'd quite literally walked into him. Upon seeing the familiar head of green, Nami wasn't sure whether to laugh or to cry. No matter how hard she tried pushing them away, there was just no escaping these people. Was this what Sakura had meant, when she said that there were people who would always find her and help her?

"What are you doing here, Zoro?"

* * *

The more he listened to Nojiko's story, the worse Usopp felt for Nami.

Having to watch your mother die was bad enough, but being forced to work for their murderers day after day with a smile on your face… well, Usopp couldn't even begin to imagine what that must have felt like.

He had been so blinded by rage at the theft of the Merry, he'd never stopped to consider Nami's reasons for her actions. He was still kind of pissed at her for robbing them, but he no longer saw her as an opportunistic witch who only befriended them for their money.

Not that his opinion really mattered… their stubborn captain was dead set on having Nami as their navigator, and if there was one thing Usopp had learned in the brief period he'd known Luffy, it was that the boy had an uncanny talent for winning over the people he want on his crew.

Hell, Luffy had even managed to convince East Blue's most infamous mercenary to join. Usopp was still reeling from that revelation, but the pink-haired assassin had confirmed it herself.

Speaking of which, he still had no idea how she'd pulled off her latest stunt.

He'd been hiding behind a building during Sakura's showdown with Arlong, after having lost Zoro to the woods for the umpteenth time. After the rat-faced marine had barged in, Usopp was barely able to suppress a scream as a perfect doppelganger of Sakura tapped him on the shoulders, calmly ignoring his questions and ordering him to find her an empty box, fill it with paper, and bury it in the far end of the tangerine fields.

The reason for her instructions soon became clear, but Usopp was still confused as to how she'd been able to convince both the fishmen and the marines that the chest had been filled with actual money. It was quite bizarre, really, watching Nezumi giggle over blank sheets of paper.

Usopp had always prided himself on his lying abilities, but what Sakura had just done was _insane_. As soon as all this was over, he was going to beg her to reveal her secrets and teach him that skill.

"It should be around here," Nojiko muttered, bending down to examine the freshly upturned earth. She was positive Nami had buried her treasure on the side near their mother's grave, which made the box the marines discovered at the opposite end all the more puzzling.

"I think I found it," Usopp grinned, sweeping off the dirt on an old treasure chest. Opening the lid, Usopp let out a low whistle as he laid eyes on the massive piles of cash.

"So the marine bastards really didn't take Nami's treasure," Nojiko breathed in relief, brows furrowing as she tried to make sense of the situation. "So whose money did they take?"

Usopp scratched his head sheepishly. "I may have, uh, buried a chest full of blank papers."

"But I saw the money myself," Nojiko argued, growing more and more confused by the minute. "There was definitely real money in there."

Usopp shrugged, not knowing what else to say. He was just as curious of the answer as Nojiko. Luckily, he was saved from having to explain himself by the sound of a familiar voice, calling his name in excitement.

"Usopp!" Luffy grinned, "You're alive! The octopus said Nami killed you, but I knew he was lying!"

"Luffy, there's something you need to know. Nami—"

"I don't want to hear it," Luffy cut in. "Anything I need to know, I'm sure Nami will tell me when she's ready."

"…Ok. There's something else. Sakura went with Arlong and the marines to Arlong's Park."

Luffy cocked his head. "I know. We told her to rendezvous there."

"You did? She didn't mention anything to me…"

"Look," Luffy said, the first hint of irritation creeping into his normally cheerful voice, "don't worried about Sakura-nee-chan; I trust her. We're here to help Nami, so let's find her and go beat up this Arlong. I want to go to the Grand Line already!"

Nojiko eyed the trio curiously as they bickered comically amongst themselves. She had half a mind to tell them to just leave if they really want what's best for Nami, but after everything she'd seen today… she wasn't so sure anymore. She'd never seen Nami so shaken and affected… could these people actually be what her baby sister needs? Not to mention, if they were all as strong as that pink-haired crewmate of theirs… maybe this was their chance to finally rid themselves of the tyrant, once and for all.

"I think I know where she is," Nojiko finally offered, having made up her mind. "I'm Nojiko by the way, Nami's sister. She probably went back to our cabin—come on, I'll take you there."

* * *

"_I'm sorry, this information is classified. Please enter the code for level ten clearance and try again."_

Smoker was not an impatient man. He may not be the easiest person to work with, but he rarely took his frustrations out on those around him. At the moment though…

Well, he was thoroughly sick of the automated voice denying him access and wanted nothing more than to smash the machine into smithereens.

Just what the hell were those up top hiding? Level ten clearance was reserved for Admirals only, and short of a Buster Call Smoker didn't know what else could require such great secrecy.

The Reaper's demands had seemed innocent enough. Records of anything unusual that happened two years ago. Reports of anything that had been flagged as suspicious. He had personally been at his post in Loguetown at the time and had never received wind of anything abnormal, but he was beginning to question whether that had been a lie.

All records at base from two years ago were sealed. Hell, even his own reports were gone. What could possibly have happened to make the World Government lock down on _everything_ that happened that year?

Exhaling a stream of calming smoke, Smoker took a deep drag on his cigar before moving on to his next search.

The terms "fox", "leaf", and "fire" revealed no matches, and Smoker turned his attention to the last word on the list the Reaper had given him. With such generic terms, he'd expected either hundreds of hits or no hits at all.

Typing the word "orange" in the search box, Smoker's brows shot up as only one result came up.

"_I'm sorry, this information is classified. Please enter the code for level ten clearance and try again."_

"You have got to be kidding me," Smoker growled, face darkening at the hindrance. Still, he was surprised at the file's existence. As far as he knew, it was not standard practice to codename anything after colors, so how could an assassin from the East Blue know what to look for?

"Here for a bit of light reading, captain?"

Smoker briskly closed the window on his screen and turned around. The boy in front of him was young, probably still in his early to mid-twenties, but his uniform identified him as a Vice Admiral. So this was Sengoku's protégé and the Marine's latest poster child… Smoker had heard talks of the boy's rapid ascension through the ranks, but now that he'd seen the boy wonder in person he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

There was nothing impressive about Vice Admiral Aran's outward appearance. But despite the bored look on his face and the lazy slouch of his posture, there was a hint of shrewd intelligence in his eyes.

"I was just leaving, actually," Smoker said, slightly unnerved by the ease with which the other marine snuck up on him. "I'd love to stay and chat, but duty calls."

Aran inclined his head. "Of course," he murmured in agreement, and stepped aside to let Smoker pass. In his rush, the captain had forgotten to log off his session, and after the doors of the archives slammed shut, the Vice Admiral turned back to Smoker's screen and pulled up his search history.

There was only one hit, but it was enough to make his spirits lift.

_Project Orange. Level Ten Classified._

It had been almost two years since he'd infiltrated the Marines, but despite his rank it was still incredibly hard to ask questions without raising suspicion. He had long suspected that Sengoku had some sort of automated alert system embedded in the database, but luckily, Smoker would be the one to take the fall if that turned out to be true. He didn't know why the white-haired marine was looking into the incident two years ago, but he was glad Smoker had finally provided him with the opening he was looking for.

The World Government was hiding something, and the Vice Admiral had no doubt it had something to do with his home village and old comrades. He'd created this identity two years ago to find a way home, and it seems he'd finally caught a break.

Quickly copying the encrypted file onto a custom-made untraceable drive, Nara Shikamaru sighed as he wondered just what sort of secrets the file contained. He had his suspicions, of course, but there was no way to be sure until he cracked the encryption.

Lighting up another cigarette, Shikamaru carefully erased all traces of his activities and headed back to his quarters, preparing himself for a long sleepless night of mind-straining work.

"…How very troublesome."

* * *

Nami wasn't sure what to make of all this.

As if finding Zoro on her doorstep wasn't enough, not long afterwards her sister had shown up with the rest of the Straw Hats in tow. Luffy had immediately engulfed her in a giant bear hug, which prompted Sanji to kick him off her and straight into Zoro. This had started a rather comical fight between the swordsman and the cook, while Luffy wandered off to raid her kitchen after telling her he was glad she was okay.

She had, of course, screamed at them again to just leave her alone and save themselves, but if there was ever a case of warnings falling on deaf ears, this was it.

Zoro had just given her a _look_, and Luffy flat out told her they weren't going anywhere without her. In frustration, she had ran out into the woods, and soon found herself sitting at Bellemere's grave, wondering what the hell was she supposed to do.

The Straw Hats had all risked their lives for her sake, and the brief period she'd spent with them had been the most fun she's had in years. In the midst of all their crazy adventures, she'd even managed to forget the depth of her despair.

"Should I trust them… and fight?"

Sakura had told her she needed to learn to let others help her, and Nami was tempted to take her advice. After all, the older woman had also told her to look underneath the underneath, and sure enough, Nojiko had confirmed that her treasure was still safely hidden, and all Nezumi carried off was a chest full of blank paper.

"I want to trust them… but I don't want them to get hurt because of me."

Against her will, streams of tears began to fall.

"…What should I do, Bellemere?"

Before Nami could raise her hand to wipe off her tears, her vision was obscured by a large straw hat. She knew how precious the hat was to Luffy, which made the gesture all the more surprising.

Luffy simply looked at his navigator, and found himself hating how lost and vulnerable she looked, hating how her eyes glistened with tears. Not knowing how else to comfort her, Luffy settled for placing a hand on Nami's shoulder, and voiced the one thought racing through his mind.

"Don't worry, Nami." Luffy's voice was strong with determination. "I'll make sure Arlong… never makes you cry again!"

* * *

This was way too easy.

Glancing over at the tied up marine with a disgusted look and gagging him with no small amount of force, Sakura rolled her eyes as she recalled how he'd tried to bribe her to his side. Not only did the rat-like marine have no idea who he was dealing with, he also had no useful skills to speak of. Corruption she could understand, but this… this was just pure incompetence.

Based on her past dealings with Smoker, she had expected the captain to pose at least a minor challenge. Perhaps she had been giving the Marines too much credit.

In addition to being weaker than an Academy student, Nezumi was a classic slob. His study was messy beyond belief, with piles of papers scattered everywhere. Bottles of expensive booze lined the shelves, and Sakura sighed before pouring herself a glass, sitting down to examine the papers in detail.

One particular document caught her eye, as it bore the official seal from Marineford. Sakura frowned as she scanned the contents of the document, and closed her eyes briefly, trying to plan her next move.

So Hawkeyes was alive. Sakura didn't know how he'd survived the poison, but that was the least of her worries.

The head bozos at marine headquarters had apparently just deployed ten additional units to East Blue, with the sole directive of investigating her identity. Getting a clear shot of her face was now the primary mission of over 200 marines.

Sakura's more mature side felt a wave of annoyance surge at this hindrance, but her inner ego couldn't help but feel a bit flattered. She was now officially the single biggest threat in the East Blue, _shannaro!_

Now, given that she'd already planned on moving to the Grand Line anyway, this new development wasn't nearly as problematic as it would've been two months ago. In fact, she may even be able to play this to her advantage.

Casting a quick genjutsu on Nezumi's den den mushi, Sakura dialed the direct line to the East Blue's central office and wasted no time in getting straight to the point.

"Yes, this is Captain Nezumi calling from the 16th branch, marine code 00733," Sakura spoke breezily, leaning back in her chair as the genjutsu-ed den den mushi translated her voice to Nezumi's slick drawl. "I'm calling in with critical information on the mercenary known as the Reaper."

_If it's information they want_, the Leaf nin smirked,_ then it's information they'll get._

* * *

If Arlong was angry before, he was furious now.

He was still sore about his defeat at the hands of the pink-haired woman, but he'd been willing to put it behind him once he'd discovered her real identity. Despite his pompous speeches on fishman superiority, Arlong wasn't stupid. Anyone who had the power to best a Shichibukai was not to be taken lightly; he had only ever dealt with one other Shichibukai before, and even in their childhood Arlong had never been able to defeat Jinbei in a fight.

So human or not, when the Reaper had called a truce and offered to show him to Nami's treasure, Arlong had put aside his pride and gladly accepted her deal. He was a firm believer in the power of money, and since the girl was a mercenary he'd expected her to share a similar view.

Hours after they'd gone their separate ways, one of his officers had went to inventory the cash, and discovered only stacks of blank paper. At first, Arlong had suspected the greedy marine of cheating him, but given how terrified Nezumi had been at their last meeting, Arlong doubted the rat-faced bastard has the guts to double cross him.

No, this could only be the work of the pink-haired menace. Arlong didn't know how she did it, but she'd fooled them all.

To add salt to injury, he'd come home to find his entire crew beaten, his prisoners escaped, and Hatchan tied up like tako on a stick.

"The green-haired kid did all this? He was half-dead!"

Hatchan winced at his captain's tone, and nodded shamefully at his failure. Thankfully, he was saved from having to answer for his incompetence by Kuroobi's arrival.

"Captain," the ray fishman frowned, "there is someone outside… who claims to be your brother."

"Well," a blue-skinned fishman waltzed in, pushing his way past the much larger officer with ease, "brother in arms."

Arlong regarded the newcomer wearily. He didn't look too threatening, but the large wrapped blade on his back was a cause for concern.

"Who the hell are you?"

The blue shark fishman smirked, before bowing mockingly with an exaggerated flourish.

"Hoshigaki Kisame, at your service."

* * *

Sakura scowled inwardly as she tried once more to convince Arlong to give up the location of Fishman Island.

"I was chased out by the human-loving authorities," she lied smoothly through her henge, "Fishman Island has become overrun with these disgusting inferior creatures, and I need your help in getting back and reestablishing fishmen as the supreme race."

Arlong considered the blue shark fishman's words carefully. On any other day, he would have gladly accepted the man into his crew for his radical beliefs, but too much shit had gone down in the last few hours for him not to question the other shark's motives.

"So what exactly are you asking from me?"

"Lend me a hand. Show me the Eternal Pose to Fishman Island."

Arlong's eyes narrowed at this, and he immediately knew something was wrong with the newcomer's story. Although he _was_ in possession of an Eternal Pose to Fishman Island, no true fishman _needed_ a log pose to find their way home. This 'Hoshikage Kisame' may look like one of their own, but Arlong was quickly learning that looks can be deceiving. Fool him once, shame on him. Fool him twice… well, not if he can help it.

With a sneer, Arlong signaled to his officers and coldly commanded, "Get this imposter off my island."

Sakura sighed dramatically before deciding to change tactics. Maybe it was because he'd already been tricked once today, but Arlong simply wasn't buying her act. She'd hoped to appeal to Arlong's racial superiority complex to get what she'd came for, but it appears that's no longer an option. Cracking her fingers as she dropped her henge, Sakura slammed Arlong to the ground before he could register what was happening and pressed her chakra-charged tanto to his throat.

"I won't ask again. Give me the Eternal Pose to Fishman Island, and I just might let you live."

Arlong glared up at her, but despite his best efforts couldn't break her grip. Luckily for him, a loud obnoxious voice broke through their stalemate, and in Sakura's brief moment of distraction Arlong was able to take hold of her sword and cleave her head clean off.

…Only to watch her dissolve into a puddle of water.

The sawshark fishman swore, but didn't have the time to do much else as an angry black blur launched itself at him, screaming about how he was going to make him pay for killing his nee-chan and making his navigator cry.

And as he was getting pummeled for the umpteenth time that day, Arlong rued his decision to ever set foot in Cocoyashi.

* * *

Sakura was abruptly snapped out of her preparations as her mizu bunshin dispelled via decapitation and the memories came rushing back to her original body. Her affinity for water and phenomenal chakra control had made it possible for her bunshin to follow Arlong all the way back to his base, and apparently her bunshin had thought it a good idea to impersonate Kisame to get on the sawshark fishman's good side. Luffy's interruption was unexpected, but what's done is done and the only thing left to do was to raid Arlong's base herself.

Perhaps it was a good thing Luffy arrived half a day earlier than planned. He and the rest of the crew can keep Arlong and his cronies occupied while she searched for the Eternal Log to Fishman Island. Sakura never did like doing things without a plan; although her decision to explore the Grand Line had made sense at the time, she was glad to finally have some sort of solid destination in mind. The only thing she knew for sure right now was that Kisame had been able to traverse from Fishman Island to the Elemental Nations at one point, so she would start from there and see where her search takes her.

Eying the elaborate half-finished reports she'd drawn up, Sakura stretched and decided she could use a break. It would take some time to finish fabricating evidence for her false identity, and Luffy and the crew may need her help. Besides, it wasn't like she was in any real hurry here.

Grinning slightly as she henged into Nezumi and cast a small genjutsu to hide the presence of the real tied-up marine, Sakura calmly strolled out of his office and ordered the crew to stay put until they received further instructions. Once back in the privacy of the captain's quarters, Sakura completed the seals for the body flicker technique and promptly disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

The fight was not going in their favor.

Zoro feinted to the left and tried to sidestep the six-armed octopus fishman to get to his captain, but Hatchan parried his strike and once again stood between him and the pool. The other swordsman remained on the defensive, and Zoro took the chance to check up on his crewmates.

Sanji was busy fending off the large ray fishman, Usopp was running from the one with the weird speech pattern, and Luffy had his hands full drowning at the bottom of the abnormally deep swimming pool. All in all, things weren't looking so good.

They had stormed the lavish base of the Arlong pirates in time to see Arlong decapitate their infamous pink-haired teammate, but Zoro was barely fazed as he watched Sakura disappear into water. Luffy however was not as observant, and the thought of Arlong trying to kill one of his nakama, in addition to tormenting his navigator for the better part of eight years, was enough to send the Straw Hat captain into a fit of rage. Luffy had all but launched himself at the sawshark fishman, and was able to knock out several sets of teeth before Arlong's officers finally pulled him off their captain.

It had all gone downhill from there.

Hatchan had somehow glued Luffy's feet to a solid slab of concrete, and threw the rubber boy in the water, where he would be powerless due to his Devil Fruit ability. If Zoro didn't get him out soon...

"Get the hell out of my way!"

Hatchan sneered, about to say something on how a human could never win against his six-sword style with only one sword. Before he could launch into his monologue, however, a sudden thick mist encompassed the entire park, and Zoro was barely able to catch sight of a familiar head of pink before several audible splashes broke the eerie silence.

Seconds later, the mist cleared, and Zoro blinked in surprise as he took in the scene.

All three of Arlong's officers were knocked into the pool, slowly regaining their bearings while Sakura calmly walked to the center of the water.

"Sorry I'm late," Sakura grinned, and readied her chakra for a severely bastardized version of her late sensei's infamous Raikiri. While she had neither Kakashi's proficiency with lightning nor his expansive chakra capacity, her superior control had made it possible for her to attempt a simplified version with about half the power as the original.

On water however… well, there was nothing quite like a solid conductor to magnify the strength of your attacks.

Having confirmed that Zoro and Sanji were a safe distance away from the soon-to-be-electrified water, Sakura flashed through the hand seals for the technique, plunged her hand into the water, and unleashed about half a million volts of lethal electricity.

The fishmen never stood a chance.

* * *

The silence that followed after Sakura's ingenious plan to electrify the fishmen were broken only by the occasional crackle of residual electricity on Hatchan's body as he and his crewmates slowly floated to the surface, unconscious and resembling nothing more than giant burnt fish.

Sanji snapped out of his stunned surprise as Zoro cautiously poked one of the electrocuted fishman with his sword.

"Hey… isn't Luffy still in there?"

The blonde cook signed, and took the time to light a cigarette before responding.

"Rubber doesn't conduct electricity, idiot."

"Still," Sakura cut in dryly, "shouldn't you two get him out of the water before he drowns?"

Before the two could argue on who should go save their captain, Sakura sensed an outburst of chakra from behind, and promptly pushed both Sanji and Zoro into the water, just in time to avoid being sliced to ribbons by the large sentient sword that crashed through where they'd stood seconds ago.

Eyes widening as she took in the appearance of her latest adversary, the Leaf nin felt a simultaneous burst of excitement and fear as she finally connected the dots and recognized the relic from her past.

She'd only ever seen Kisame's monstrous sword in its contained, wrapped state, but she'd heard rumors of how the sword was able to grow in size in proportion to the amount of chakra it absorbed. The sword in front of her now was all scales and fins, but at the same time appeared almost anorexic…

_Of course_, Sakura realized with a start, _no one in this world has chakra. The sword must have been starved into hibernation… and was awakened by my use of lightning earlier._

There was nothing more dangerous than a starved shark out for blood, but it was high time she got some solid answers, and she'll be damned if she let a freaking _sword_ stand in her way.

"I'm going to enjoy chopping off your fins and having Luffy test out Sanji's proficiency in shark fin soup… Samehada."

* * *

"Aokiji speaking."

"Admiral, this is Sakimono from the tech division. You told us to contact you if anyone ever attempts to access the sealed files from two years ago."

Admiral Aokiji's eyes narrowed, and responded with a simple, "And?"

"At six forty eight this morning, we received an alert that someone had successfully cracked the encryption on "Project Orange". We were able to trace the access login back to Captain Smoker from the East Blue division."

"…You're sure of this?"

"Absolutely."

Aokiji hung up the den den mushi with a worried frown. If he remembered correctly, Captain Smoker had left for his post back in Loguetown yesterday afternoon, making it impossible for him to access any of their records after that timeframe. There was only one other possible explanation, and Aokiji did not like the implications.

Instructing his den den mushi to dial a secured line to Sengoku, Aokiji's voice was hard when he spoke.

"We have a problem."

* * *

**A/N: **Who saw that coming? I probably made Shika's identity way too obvious (maybe I should have gone with a less obvious name…?), but I wanted to make sure people got the foreshadowing. Oh well, there's another huge twist in the Shika storyline coming up soon ;)

Genjutsu is useful as hell. I'm thinking of making Usopp learn it, or develop some "star" that can duplicate its effects. I don't even like Usopp that much, but since lying is his specialty, genjutsu seems like a good skill for him. Thoughts?

If anyone is confused on how or why Samehada showed up, it'll be cleared up by next chapter. FYI— in this story, Samehada is more sentient than in canon, but he is still a sword, not a fishman. This will become relevant _much _later.

There seems to be some confusion on power levels regarding Naruto being captured by the marines. I'm not going to give away whether or not he escaped successfully, but I just want to clarify that this story is AU from the Pein-invasion arc in the Naruto manga. Meaning Naruto never got the training from Killer Bee, and the most he has to go on here is some control over his eight-tail state. Oh, and Sage Mode. So at this point, he is NOT Juubi level yet. But rest assured, he WILL learn to control Kyuubi entirely and use tailed-beast balls and such in time, but I want to leave some room for growth.

The Arlong arc should wrap up next chapter. We'll see return appearances from two of my favorite characters.

Remember to review!


	9. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Wrote this in 2 days. I am really starting to get in the grooves of things. Enjoy!

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Chapter 7: Down the Rabbit Hole**_

* * *

The first thing Luffy registered after Zoro and Sanji dragged him up from underwater was the smell of burnt fish.

Shaking the water out of his hair, Luffy groggily blinked his eyes open, and his jaw dropped at what he was seeing.

There, in the middle of the pool, amidst the unconscious bodies of Arlong's officers, stood Sakura, battling what could only be described as some sort of sword and shark hybrid.

"Are you guys seeing what I'm seeing?"

"If you're referring to the giant shark-sword-_thing_," Zoro grimaced at the abomination, "then yes."

Sanji sighed as he watched the excited glint slowly enter his captain's eyes. There was no stopping Luffy after he gets an idea in his head, and Sanji was sure he wasn't going to like what was coming next.

"Let's keep it as a pet!" Luffy exclaimed wildly, pushing himself to his feet and starting to cheer loudly for his nee-chan to kick the sword's ass. "That has _got_ to be the coolest sword ever!"

Zoro raised a brow as he watched the 'sword' open its mouth wide and launch itself at the pink-haired nin. The thing was all fins and teeth, looking more like a shark with a handle attached than a real sword. It was about the same size as Hawkeyes' monstrous 7-foot great sword, but even the _Yoru_ wasn't able to attack without its welder.

This thing… it definitely had a mind of its own. Zoro wasn't sure if there was even a thing as a sentient sword, but there was no denying the murderous vibes the sword was giving off.

"What the hell did you do?" A battered Arlong asked incredulously from behind the trio, momentarily putting his fight with Luffy on hold as he took in the ridiculous scene. "How did you make the sword come _alive_?"

Sakura only shot him a brief glare before being forced to retreat once more. She knew of Samehada's reputation of course, but she'd underestimated just how easily it could absorb chakra. She'd found out the hard way that any point of contact, however brief, was enough to suck the chakra straight out of her arm and into the beast's mouth.

…Which essentially negated her super-strength and the chakra augmentations to her tanto-axe combo.

Scowling inwardly, Sakura flipped out of the path of the sword's advance and blew several wayward strands of hair out of her face. "You didn't know the sword was sentient?" She addressed Arlong, a million questions racing through her head. "Where did you get it anyway?"

Arlong was too shocked by what he was seeing to remember he was supposed to hate humans, and in his distracted state actually answered Sakura's question truthfully.

"Our Sea Cow coughed up the sword about fifty years ago… I've always felt something was off about the sword, but to think it was actually _alive_ all this time…"

Sakura frowned as she considered what Arlong had just told her. If Samehada had spent some time in the giant sea cow's stomach, then that would certainly explain the monster's fixation on her earlier and the scales it'd coughed up. But what the fishman was saying was impossible… she had personally seen the sword in Kisame's possession only three years ago, when the blue-skinned possible-fishman had chased after Naruto in their surprise attack. So how could the Arlong pirates have had the sword in their possession for the past fifty years, not to mention how the hell had the sea cow swallow the sword without lacerating its throat in the first place?

Forcing the questions to the back of her mind as she focused on the more immediate problem, Sakura jumped back on dry land and watched with a calculating eye as Samehada halted at the edge of the pool, unable to maneuver itself out of the water.

"How interesting," Sakura murmured to herself, feeling the beginnings of a plan starting to form in her mind. "So the sword named the '_Shark Skin'_ shares the attributes of an actual shark."

Turning to Arlong, Sakura couldn't resist one last jibe.

"…Are you absolutely _sure_ no one in your family has ever mated with a sword?"

The offensive statement finally snapped the sawshark fishman out of his shock. Eyes glazing over in anger, Arlong made to lunge for his archenemy, hoping to force her into the water where the disturbingly familial shark sword laid in wait. Before he could take a single step forward, however, the Straw Hat rubber boy stepped in front of him, and made a lightning fast strike with his stretched-out arm, punching him back into the nearest wall.

"Not only did you make my navigator cry," Luffy cracked his knuckles, "but you're trying to kill my nakama too?"

Arlong glared as he slowly got up. "You'll pay for that," he growled bitterly, "I'll make sure to kill every last one of you."

"Or so you keep saying," Zoro smirked as he joined his captain and faced off against the sole standing member of the Arlong pirates. "Why don't you put your money where your mouth is?"

Taking one last drag on his cigarette, Sanji grinned as he joined his crewmates.

"I'm sure Nami-san would love to take that bet."

* * *

Sakura watched with an amused eye as the monster trio juggled Arlong back and forth between them like some bizarre game of catch. Against any single one of them, Arlong would have proved quite the challenge, but against all three…

Well, the fearsome fishman had essentially been reduced to a black-and-blue mess of limbs. Luffy punched the pirate to Sanji, who kicked him to Zoro, who used his sword like a baseball bat and swung Arlong back to Luffy's waiting fists.

Sakura almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

Turning her attention back to Samehada who circled menacingly in the water, Sakura could tell the sword was becoming increasingly agitated. The sword wasn't a fishman, but there was no denying it felt some sort of connection to the fishmen… maybe it was even feeling Arong's pain. It had also grown considerably, from the sizable chunk of chakra it had stolen from her earlier when she tried to punch it into scrap metal.

A bizarre idea suddenly occurred to her, and Sakura figured there was no harm in giving it a try. It wasn't like she had any real ideas on how to kill a sentient inanimate object anyway.

"So, Samehada," Sakura began, feeling slightly stupid for talking to a sword, "I probably just gave you your first taste of chakra in years, and I know you're hungry for more. But here's the thing; as far as I know, I'm the only shinobi around in this world, which makes me your only steady source of chakra."

Releasing a bit of her own killing intent, Sakura's voice was hard when she continued.

"Unless you want to eliminate your last and only meal ticket, you'd do well to recognize me as your new master."

Samehada stilled, and Sakura arched a brow as the sword quivered before its fins and teeth slowly retracted. Eventually, the sword returned to its dormant state, and Sakura cautiously unsealed a roll of bandages before wrapping the sword and lifting it out of the water.

It was heavier than she'd expected, and she could feel a slight hum of warning as Samehada demanded his daily fix of chakra. Resigning herself to a temporary state of weakness, Sakura gave up half of her remaining chakra stores before hefting the sword onto her shoulders and making her way over to the rest of the crew.

"Luffy better be ecstatic with his new pet," the Leaf nin scowled, not liking the addition of the unwelcome reminder from her past. "…Though I suppose, if nothing else, I could use Samehada as an additional training tool to build up my reserves."

* * *

Deep in the second half of the Grand Line, under an outward façade of peace and normalcy, the fleet admiral's office was rife with tension.

"I'm not sure you understand the gravity of the situation," Sengoku grounded out, forcing his voice to remain calm as he glared at the brilliant scientist whose hologram sat in front of him. "Our base has been compromised."

Doctor Vegapunk shot a bored look at his troubled companion, and snorted in contempt.

"I am not responsible for your incompetence." Vegapunk said disinterestedly while looking down at some papers. "My research is of utmost importance to humanity; I'm not shutting down the project just because some _dweeb_ accessed records from two years ago."

Sengoku growled in frustration at the doctor's stubbornness. "'_Project Orange'_ was decrypted almost 24 hours ago—that file contained _everything._ We need to move him. _Immediately."_

"What's the big deal?" Vegapunk asked. "That file was written in my personal code; it's not like anyone will be able to understand my brilliant insights anyway. Just find the perpetrator and destroy the copy."

"The problem, _doctor_, is that we have no idea who the perpetrator is, beyond that he's someone here at this base."

"Then that's a failure on your end. _Subject __Orange_ is by far my finest work; I'm continuing as scheduled."

Before Sengoku could argue, Vegapunk ended the connection with a simple, "Good day, Admiral."

The normally amiable admiral swore, before forcing himself to take a deep breath and think clearly.

"Have you rechecked the surveillance den den mushis?" he asked the only other person in the room, about to tear his hair out in exasperation. "Asked the guards outside? Checked the hallway video logs? Someone _must _have seen _something."_

Kuzan Aokiji shook his head. "The surveillance only showed Captain Smoker entering and exiting the archives, 18 hours prior to the file's decryption. You need sophisticated machinery to crack the file—technology that's only available here at Marineford. Although Smoker's login was used to access the file, he left base 16 hours prior to the file's decryption. I'm positive it's not him."

"Which leaves us with the 2000 marines here at base. Around 100 are captain class and above, with access to the archives."

"The timing is suspicious, though, don't you think?"

Sengoku shot a questioning look at his trusted comrade, silently asking him to elaborate.

"Smoker was here to transfer Hawkeyes to our central medical facility," the ice user mused, "Hawkeyes was beaten half to death by this mercenary known only as the Reaper, whose skill set shares many similarities with _him_. And a week later, _Project Orange_ was cracked."

Sengoku arched a brow. "You suspect," he began slowly, "that the Reaper is behind all this? That she and _Orange_ are connected? Communicating, even?"

Aokiji narrowed his eyes and shrugged. "Perhaps she's not alone. Perhaps there's more of _them_, and they have someone on the inside."

"…That," Sengoku finally responded, his voice grave, "would be catastrophic."

"Indeed," the other admiral agreed, "_Orange_ was able to single-handedly destroy our base; could you imagine what a group of others with his abilities could do? If this Reaper is indeed similar to him, we need to capture her straight away."

Sengoku nodded to indicate his assent, and asked tiredly, "_Orange_ was the only file compromised?"

"That we know of. The file contained references to the Lost Artifacts and poneglyphs about the Lost Continent, so if the person responsible _does_ crack Vegapunk's code, it won't be long before he or she makes the connection."

"This is a nightmare," Sengoku muttered, trying and failing to pinpoint when things had spiraled so out of hand. "I never thought I'd say this, but I miss the good old days, when all we were concerned with were keeping the pirates in line."

Aokiji shot a bemused look at his friend. "So what's our next move?"

Sengoku ran a hand tiredly through his afro, and sighed for the umpteenth time.

"Call a meeting with the East Blue division in two day's time to decide on a bounty for this Reaper. Continue to observe those at base—until proven otherwise, _everyone_ is a suspect. I need to go see the Gorosei."

* * *

Impel Down was a dank and depressing place, and Hawkeyes scowled as he paced impatiently in the infirmary, waiting for Magellan to come in for his daily poison and antidote injection.

He was already in a dangerously bad mood from all the drugs coursing through his system, and the waiting was making his drug-induced homicidal tendencies run even higher than usual.

"Screw this," the famed swordsman glowered, picking up his monstrous great sword with his left arm and securing it on his back. Although Magellan's poison did successfully overwhelm the Reaper's poison, it did nothing for his arm. His life may no longer be in danger, but his right arm remained as useless as ever.

Turning sharply out of his temporary residence, Hawkeyes grabbed a nearby patrol and asked with no small amount of force.

"Where's Magellan?"

Assistant Warden Hannyabal shivered under the menacing gaze of the infamous Shichibukai. Despite having lost the use of his dominate sword arm, Hawkeyes was still one of the most intimidating men Hannyabal had ever met. If anything, the swordsman was using his formidable haki to compensate, perhaps even unconsciously.

"He's down at Level Six, sir. But I wouldn't recommend—"

Hawkeyes had no interest in hearing what the wannabe devil was or wasn't about to recommend, and pushed past the fat nuisance with indifference. Briskly making his descent down into the lowermost level of the maximum-security prison, Mihawk idly wondered just what sort of scum resided in these depths.

Paying no attention to the various inmates jeering behind him, Hawkeyes confidently made his way down the hall, intent on getting his daily drug fix. The Reaper's poison was persistent, and it had initially been necessary to administer the treatments multiple times per day. Somewhere along the way, the world's greatest swordsman's body had developed a rather unhealthy dependency on Magellan's poison and antidote cocktail, and despite having flushed the majority of the original poison out of his system, the warden still insisted on sticking to a daily regimen.

Catching sight of Magellan at the far end of the corridor, Hawkeyes paid attention to little else in his drug-induced single-mindedness and was caught completely unaware as a suffocating presence filled the air. Turning around wearily, Hawkeyes noticed for the first time the ten-fold-layered bars of the cell he'd just walked past.

Hawkeyes squinted into the darkness, but despite his excellent vision couldn't make out much. All he could see was an endless array of bars, and the swordsman found himself wondering just what sort of monster could warrant such heavy precautions.

A hoarse voice that sounded like it hasn't been used in years finally broke the tense silence.

"—Wait."

* * *

Sakura eyed the orange-haired navigator in front of her with renewed respect. She didn't think the girl had it in her, but it seemed Nami had more spunk than she gave her credit for.

A smile tugged at her lips as she surveyed the state of destruction around her. A piece of burning debris crashed to her left, and Sakura grinned as she recalled what Nami and Usopp had just pulled off.

While the monster trio had been busy beating Arlong to a pulp, Nami had taken the opportunity to dose the entirety of Arlong's tower in gasoline. Usopp had built a makeshift explosive that proved surprisingly effective, and Nami had actually crackled with glee as she ignited the match and blew up the room that had been the source of her misery for eight whole years.

The explosions lasted for almost three full minutes, and Usopp had even taken the liberty to work in several fireworks the villagers had dug up. Arlong's face had an unsavory shade of purple as Luffy forced him to watch his palace crumble around him with celebratory cheer, and Nami had laughed as she delivered the satisfying last strike that finally knocked the sawshark fishman unconscious.

"It's over," Nami grinned, lips splitting open in a blinding smile as she pumped her fist in the air. "We did it! We're free!"

"Tch," Zoro smirked good-naturedly, sheathing his sword. "I'm insulted you ever doubted us."

Luffy grinned before putting his arms around his first mate and navigator. "Let's celebrate! Sanji, I want to eat shark-fin soup!"

Sakura shook her head in amusement, and ignored the slight whine of Samehada as the sword's chakra pulsed weakly in protest. She couldn't wait to see what sort of torture Luffy would put the sword through when he finally got a chance to play with his new pet. It would be a small revenge for all the grief it had cost her and her friends during its stint with Kisame.

_Careful there, Sak, _her inner whispered cautiously, _you're getting quite vindictive towards a_ sword_ of all things_…_ If you don't watch yourself, you might end up like _him.

Sakura made a face and pushed the unwelcome thought aside. What a killjoy. This was a time to celebrate, not brood over old ghosts.

Joining Nami at the rear of the group, Sakura smiled as she took in the younger girl's noticeably lighter demeanor.

"I want to thank you," Nami cut in before Sakura could speak, "for everything." Eyes glistening over slightly as the full force of what they'd just accomplished finally hit her, Nami blinked back her tears of joy and smiled.

"Just… thank you."

The Leaf nin smiled again, and put a comforting hand on the younger girl's shoulders.

"Anytime."

Then, as an afterthought, Sakura teased, "…But since your stunt destroyed Arlong's Eternal Pose to Fishman Island, I'm not letting you off the hook until you get us there."

Nami laughed, feeling on top of the world.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely get you there. That's a promise."

* * *

Two full days of partying later, Sakura sat back in Nezumi's lavish office chair and smirked at her handiwork.

While Luffy and the others had been busy consuming Cocoyashi's entire food supply, Sakura had returned to Nezumi's ship under a false henge and attended a very interesting video conference in his place.

She had been right to suspect Hawkeyes' survival would send the marines into an uproar. She wasn't sure what the swordsman had been able to tell the higher-ups at Marine headquarters, but for the time being at least descriptions of her appearance remained in the dark.

Her powers, however, did not benefit from the same discretion.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku had personally directed the conference call from his base in Marineford, and every marine Captain class and above in the East Blue had been required to attend.

"_We are here today," Sengoku began gravely, folding his hands beneath his chin, "to address a very serious threat. What can any of you tell me about the East Blue Reaper?"_

Murmurs of 'he's a mercenary' and 'isn't he the guy that killed that one official Takada?' flooded the various connections, and Sengoku raised his hand to silence the cacophony of speculation.

"_The Reaper is indeed a mercenary, last known location in grid 67 of the East Blue. SHE is suspected to be around 20-30 years of age, average height and build, with light pink hair. As of today, we are hereby labeling her Public Enemy Number Four and issuing a $500,000,000 bounty on her head."_

Sakura's brows shot up at this, but she kept silent, waiting for someone else to voice the question on everyone's minds.

"_But sir," a commodore asked hesitantly, "isn't that a bit excessive? Takada was a member of the World Noble's court, but _everyone_ knew he was corrupt. Someone was bound to kill him sooner or later."_

_Sengoku sighed heavily. "Although Takada's assassination was regrettable, it is not the focus of today's meeting. Roughly a week ago, our mercenary had a run-in with Dracule Mihawk, and succeeded in not only besting the Shichibukai in battle, but also permanently crippling his internal organs and rendering his dominant sword arm useless. As of this moment, Hawkeyes is barely out of critical condition."_

Troubled discussions broke out once more, and Sakura felt a wave of vindictive satisfaction as she learned of Hawkeyes' condition. Serves the swordsman right for exposing her to the world.

"_There are several things I must bring to your attention," Sengoku continued once the murmured talks settled down. "While we do not have an accurate picture of the Reaper's features, there are several distinctive… characteristics unique to her. For one, she is able to walk on water, and manipulate liquids into solid form. For another, she carries two five-foot battle axes, which Hawkeyes has identified as the Kage Tenjin, one of the three Lost blades. If any of you has come across anyone matching that description, please speak up now."_

Glad that she had come prepared, Sakura suppressed a grin as she prepared to throw the Marines for another loop. If that was all they had on her, then there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

"_As a matter of fact," Sakura interrupted, safely under her disguise as Nezumi, "my men and I have recently come across a suspicious person matching that description in area 86. We did not manage to get a picture of her face, but one of my men did manage to snap a profile shot of her shoulder as she ran by our ship."_

_Sengoku raised a brow. "Her shoulder?"_

"_Yes, I'm transmitting the image to you now. She has some sort of tattoo—I'm not sure what significance it bears, but it's better than nothing."_

An image of the tattoo filled the central screen, and Sakura took care to observe the reactions of the other holograms. To her disappointment, none reacted with recognition. She had long searched for a way to connect with possible comrades without revealing her identity, and Nami's shoulder tattoo had given her a fantastic idea.

Much like how Nami's new tangerine tattoo symbolized a new chapter in her life, Sakura saw the opportunity to get a wanted poster out into the world as a golden opportunity to rebrand herself and get her message across without revealing her identity or location. After all, wanted posters were distributed all over the world; the reach potential was enormous. So when Nami's tattoo artist had asked her whether she wanted anything etched, she had gladly obliged and given him a complex design that would remain inconspicuous to the general public, while immediately alerting other Konoha shinobi of her identity.

She had settled on the design of a stylized cherry blossom, whose lines were made up of tiny characters of code. The encryption was a spin on traditional ANBU code, something that she and the Konoha rebel army had come up with in the two years they'd spent underground. The message was simple, yet served its purpose.

**_Long live the will of fire._**

* * *

Shikamaru could barely believe what he was seeing as he lowered the papers back onto his desk. Ever since Hawkeyes' report, he'd suspected the Reaper to be his pink-haired friend, but this confirmed it.

He should have pushed harder to just let Hawkeyes die when he was at Marineford's medical facility. For fear of blowing his cover, he'd gone along with Sengoku's plan to heal the swordsman with Magellan's poison, and by some stroke of luck, Hawkeyes had actually survived 20:1 odds. It was a rookie mistake, and one that Shikamaru was keen to never make again.

Thankfully, Sakura had the foresight to do some infiltration and damage control on her own. Although Shikamaru had not sat in on Sengoku's meeting with the East Blue division yesterday, he had no doubt of the other Leaf nin's involvement in providing the marines with such a convenient picture.

It was quite ingenious, really. Due to its small size, he'd almost missed the code at first, but once he'd taken the time to examine the Reaper's new wanted poster in detail, the message was clear as day.

"So Sakura _is_ here after all," the genius voiced out loud, trying to organize his thoughts. "But what is she doing in the East Blue?"

He knew he had to make contact somehow. After cracking the file's encryption, it had taken him two whole days to decode just half of _Project Orange_, and what he'd read so far wasn't good. If Naruto truly is where he thinks he is, then Shikamaru was going to need Sakura's help to get their friend out.

But it wasn't like he can just leave for the East Blue. He had appearances to keep up here, and Sengoku was already suspicious. Although most of the grunts didn't know it, the entire base was on high alert, and Aokiji was watching all the higher-ups like a hawk.

...Not to mention he still had that other meeting to attend next week at Mariejois. He'll be able to get a message through to Hinata while he's there, but her current status made it impossible for her to do anything without the entire world watching. No, Hinata was in far too valuable a position to serve as his replacement.

Sighing as he reached a decision, Shikamaru unsealed a secure communication scroll and wrote a short coded message to his trusted friend and comrade. He'd hate to put her in even more danger, but it was getting incredibly hard to keep up both facades, and he could no longer hope to do this alone.

It was time for Public Enemy Number Three to come out of hiding and take his place.

* * *

The sky was abnormally clear that day, but the serene calm of the sea was abruptly disrupted by the sound of running footsteps. Sakura snapped out of her meditative state and looked down from her seated position on the mast, in time to see Nami make a running leap for their ship while dropping a pile of wallets from her shirt.

"Seriously, Nami?" Sakura asked dryly, joining the rest of the crew on the ground. "After swiping all of Nezumi's dirty money, you're still interested in such petty theft?"

"What can I say?" Nami grinned, "Old habits die hard. Besides, I left them my entire treasure, so this is nothing."

The pink-haired Leaf nin shook her head, but didn't push the matter. Their crew was certainly an eclectic bunch, to put it mildly.

"Hey Sakura?" Usopp tapped her hesitantly on the shoulders, still a bit intimidated by her former reputation. "I was wondering… that trick with the blank bills, how did you do it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sakura brushed the question aside smoothly, not sure she wanted to reveal all her tricks just yet. Genjutsu was unbelievably useful in this world, precisely because no one is aware of its existence. Although she was impressed by Usopp's proficiency with explosives in the last battle, she wasn't sure she could trust a boy with pathological lying tendencies to keep such a large secret. Until Usopp proved himself trustworthy, she was going to take the secrets of chakra to her grave.

"You know, when you got Nezumi and Arlong to believe the blank papers were actual bills," Usopp pressed, determined to get to the bottom of the matter. "Even Nojiko was convinced that what she saw was real."

"Oh… that. Hmm, I used a mild hallucinogen."

Usopp didn't look too convinced, but decided to switch tactics. "What about when you cloned yourself? Or when you turned into water? Or when you stood on water? Or when you summoned that slug—"

"What is this?" Sakura cut off Usopp's endless questions irritatingly. "Interrogate Sakura Day?"

"Hey, you can't blame us for being curious about your strange abilities," Zoro joined in, pausing in the midst of sharpening his blade. "But I'm not interested in any of that—you're strong, so welcome to the crew. We should spar."

Sakura glanced at the swordsman. Aside from Luffy, he was probably the one with the most potential. "…Maybe when you're healed," she offered.

Before Zoro could argue that he was already healed, a seagull landed on his head, carrying the day's newspaper in its pouch.

"I can't believe the price rose _again_," Nami grumbled as she reluctantly paid the messenger bird, taking out the two central inserts in order to scan the headlines. To her surprise, two familiar faces stared up at her.

Or rather, the familiar grinning face of Monkey D. Luffy and the familiar side profile of Haruno Sakura, whose face remained elusively hidden in the shadows but whose shoulder tattoo was displayed clearly.

"Hey Luffy, you've got your first bounty… 50 million beli?"

Luffy grinned, and looked up from where he was poking Samehada's scales and tempting the homicidal sword to eat him. "That's awesome!"

"You're welcome," Sakura muttered under her breath. She'd suggested raising the rubber boy's bounty to take some of the spotlight off herself in case the World Government find out about her affiliation with the Straw Hats, but the fact that Luffy seemed genuinely excited by his bounty was an unanticipated plus.

"And Sakura…" Nami's eyes nearly bugged out in disbelief as she registered the number printed on the bottom of her poster. "The East Blue Reaper, Public Enemy Number Four… wanted for 500 million beli?!"

"Let me see!" Luffy grabbed the poster from Nami's hand and his jaw dropped for the second time that day. "No fair, Sakura-nee-chan!"

"500 million… and they don't even know your name or what you look like," Zoro smirked, shaking his head at the absurdity of the situation. "All because you defeated Hawkeyes and killed a few corrupt politicians?"

Sakura shrugged, not sure of the answer herself. She knew Hawkeyes had a former bounty of around 350 million before he became a Shichibukai, so it made sense for her bounty to be higher. But Zoro was right—something didn't quite add up here. To have such a high bounty and be labeled Public Enemy Number Four just for defeating a Shichibukai… she was definitely missing something.

"Who knows what the government is thinking. Maybe they're just crazy."

"That tattoo…" Zoro frowned, squinting at the picture. "Does it mean anything?"

Sakura rubbed her shoulder absentmindedly and looked to the distance. They should reach Loguetown in two day's time, and assuming that Smoker holds up his end of the deal, she may finally get some answers.

Smiling softly, Sakura responded with a wistful look in her eyes.

"Just a small reminder of home."

* * *

Although his outward appearance remained impassive, Hawkeyes was deeply unsettled by his brief conversation with Impel Down's most heavily guarded prisoner.

"_—Wait." A hoarse voice cried out, stopping Mihawk dead in his tracks with his terrifyingly thick bloodlust._

He couldn't make out much in the darkness with the many layers of bars between them, but Hawkeyes thought he may have caught a glimpse of blonde.

"_You… what the fuck did you do to Sakura-chan?"_

If Hawkeyes wasn't confused before, he certainly was now.

"_Excuse me?"_

The prisoner increased his killer intent, and the rarely-fazed swordsman was surprised to find a bead of sweat drip down his neck.

"_Don't lie to me. I can smell traces of her blood on your sword, and sense her chakra wrecking havoc in your arm. The way you're dragging the limb along like a dead weight…" _

Hawkeyes' eyes narrowed. He could almost _feel_ the smirk in the other's voice.

"…_I bet she got you pretty good, huh?"_

Before he could question the prisoner any further, a three-feet-thick door made of solid seastone dropped from the ceiling, closing off all access to the cell from the outside world.

"Sorry about the wait," Magellan spoke, putting the controller for the cell's elaborate lock mechanism back in his coat. "I was just showing the good doctor out."

Hawkeyes eyed the elderly man next to the Warden wearily. Despite having never met in person, he had a pretty good idea who the geezer was.

"That prisoner… who was he?"

Dr. Vegapunk's gleeful smirk was positively maniacal when he responded.

"One of my finest works, if I dare say so myself."

* * *

**A/N:** The plot thickens! Hinata and Vegapunk are in the story, and we finally find out poor Naruto's fate.

There's a lot going on in this chapter, so if you have any questions please let me know and I'll see if I can answer them. This was one of my favorite chapters to write, because I'm finally starting to pull together the overarching plot. Pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fall into place, ne?

More is revealed on the time discrepancy issue—basically there are 2 inconsistencies now. First, in ch 3, Sakura's sword should be less than 10 years old but Hawkeye tells her it's over 800 years old. Second, Kisame had Sameheda up until 2-3 years ago, when Sakura and co. were sent into OP-verse, but Arlong tells her the sword has been with the fishmen pirates for over 50 years (not to mention however many years it spent in the Sea Cow's stomach before the fishmen found it). Does this mean she's in the future? Make of it what you will— I'll give you a reward/sneak peek if you can correctly guess where I'm going with this. (Hint: It ties in directly with the evil plans of Naruto and OP villains and brings together two of the biggest plots in both mangas.)

Random Musings:

-Is 500 million for Sakura too high? She's essentially piggybacking on Naruto's as well as her own deeds. The World Government is (mistakenly) assuming that Sakura has the same destructive power as Naruto (who leveled their base and overpowered Aokiji at one point), because they have similar abilities that no OP character has. This is a wrong assumption, because Sakura does not have Kyuubi, but they don't know that. Anyway, if most people think that's too high, I'm open to lowering it.

-Sakura is now public enemy #4. I wonder if you can guess who the rest are? #1 is Dragon. Yonku and Shichibukai don't count.

-Can anyone guess what other role Shika is playing? Or what role Hinata is in?

-Nami/Sakura bonding was fun to write. Nami will probably be the one to guide the shinobi back home, being one of the best navigator in the world and the third smartest in OP.

Until next time! Remember to review! I'm learning to find the right balance between building suspense/mystery and making sense, so it would be helpful to know what parts of the foreshadowing you all picked up on.


	10. Interlude 2

**A/N:** Second flashback chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Interlude Two: Code Silver**_

* * *

**def**: Warning of:

(1) A security breach

(2) A combative patient with a lethal weapon is on the loose

(3) A violent situation is unfolding and lock down is in place

* * *

_1 year 9 months prior to current story line, Mariejois._

* * *

The Throne Room was one of the Tenryubito's most closely guarded treasures, and the only section of the castle that remained strictly off limits to all those without noble blood. Despite having gathered at the elaborate stronghold for hundreds of meetings, Doflamingo had never been able to set foot inside the exclusive room.

Not after he'd renounced his title, anyway.

...Which made it all the more suspicious when he'd turned a corner and caught a glimpse of a shadow slipping out through the crack under the doors, slowly solidifying into the morbidly obese form of one Gekko Moriah.

Now, the Shichibukai was by no means a tightly knit group, but they had an unspoken agreement to keep out of each other's way. He may not admit it, but the flamboyant Shichibukai actually did hold some modicum of respect for several members of their group.

Unfortunately, Gekko Moriah was not among those select few.

If Doflamingo could pick just one person to kick out of the Shichibukai, it would be the shadow user. Moriah was a disgustingly weak simpleton, and he didn't even add to the visual aesthetic like Hancock did. Plain and simple, Doflamingo despised the eyesore, and had made it his personal mission to make life hell for the other Shichibukai at their monthly meetings.

With a wicked grin, Doflamingo attached his puppet strings to Moriah's large form, but before he could do much else, suddenly found his entire body immobilized. Frowning slightly as some invisible power forced his head to look down, Doflamingo was surprised to see a shadow stretched out from Moriah's body, solidly connected to his own.

"So you finally learned some new tricks, huh?" Doflamingo smirked, not at all bothered by the fact that the shadow user had caught him in a trap. It'd been a while since he had some fun anyway.

Moriah simply rolled his eyes and leaned back lazily. "What do you want?"

Doflamingo raised a brow. Now this was new. Moriah had never failed to rise to his jibes before; he was incredibly easy to bait, and the one of the reasons Doflamingo liked tormenting the guy so much was because of his hilarious reactions. When had the idiot become so cool-headed?

"What were you doing in the Throne Room?" Doflamingo asked instead. "I thought it was reserved for Tenryubito only."

"Of course it is," Moriah replied, turning his back on the other Shichibukai and starting to walk away. "For anyone but the World Nobles to enter the Throne Room is punishable by death... not that it concerns us. We have a meeting to get to."

To his surprise, Doflamingo found his feet moving in concert with Moriah's. It was… interesting, to say the least. Doflamingo could clearly recall the many times he'd manipulated Moriah's shadow puppets with ease, but apparently the shadow user had grown significantly stronger in the two months since they'd last met.

Throwing his hands up in the air with an overly dramatic sigh, Doflamingo allowed himself to be dragged away and made a mental note to keep an eye on his least favorite Shichibukai. Something weird was going on here, and he was going to find out what.

* * *

"So what you're saying," Boa Hancock repeated skeptically, looking unusually stressed despite her meticulous appearance, "is that some unknown _kid_ appeared out of nowhere and completely destroyed Marineford?"

Hawkeyes glanced at the group disinterestedly from his seat by the window. "And why weren't we notified of this sooner? There were absolutely no reports in the news."

"Use your brain," Doflamingo smirked, leaning back in his chair and crackling gleefully. "You don't seriously expect the World Government to advertise that they were completely flattened by an unknown nobody? I bet the outward façade of Marineford is the only thing intact right now."

Kuzan Aokiji's eyes narrowed, but he couldn't deny the truth in the despicable Shichibukai's words.

"You are not to repeat this to anyone. The perpetrator has been detained, but we do not know whether he's alone or working for a group. The only reason the World Government has even deemed it necessary to inform you of this is so you can keep an eye out for other suspects."

"The one responsible," Moriah spoke up for the first time, voice uncharacteristically curious and lacking his signature maniacal tone, "who is he?"

"We do not know his name. He is blonde, blue-eyed, about 6 feet, and wears a criminal amount of orange. We were unable to find any identification on him, and his face returned no hits for facial recognition."

"And what exactly… are you planning on doing with him?"

Aokiji frowned. "That, unfortunately, is classified. Why are you so interested?"

Gekko Moriah shrugged, before chuckling dementedly. "Oh… I want his shadow, of course! Such a fine specimen shouldn't be left to rot in a cell."

"He won't be. His execution is in a month."

Doflamingo thought he saw a flicker of panic pass in the other Shichibukai's eyes, but it was gone before he could say anything. Turning to Aokiji instead, Doflamingo grinned at the admiral's still limping figure.

"Man, someone sure has it out for you guys this year. First two Tenryubitos get murdered, then Marineford gets totaled. If you're not careful…"

Doflamingo licked his lips in glee.

"Who knows, maybe one of the Gorosei will get killed off next."

* * *

Back in the privacy of his room, Nara Shikamaru released his henge and dropped unceremoniously on the lavish bed, very much tempted to scream into his pillow.

The problems just kept coming. The Tenryubito incident had only _just_ blown over, and before he could fully clean up the mess _this_ happens.

The Nara genius didn't know how or why Naruto chose to flatten Marineford and make himself the number one hated enemy of an entire fleet of marines, but he did know he had to get him out.

Aokiji had said the execution was in one month. That gave him four weeks to find out where the blonde was being held, plan an escape, and break him out.

"This is impossible," he exhaled, lighting another cigarette and taking a deep drag. "It's three of us against an army."

"Were you always this pessimistic?" A wry voice cut through the darkness, prompting the lazy genius to sit up in alarm and whip around with a kunai ready in his hand. As his vision adjusted to the darkness, the shadow user breathed a sigh of relief as he recognized the familiar silhouette seated against the open window, blonde hair swaying gently in the breeze.

"You shouldn't be here," Shikamaru muttered, but the relief in his eyes was clear. "The entire World Government is out looking for you. Did you know you're now officially the third most wanted person in the world?"

The blonde arched a brow, and shrugged.

"Honestly, Shikamaru, what did you think was going to happen? We did, after all, kill two Tenryubito."

"Three, technically," Shikamaru grimaced. "I was hoping Hinata would be able to keep the shit from hitting the fan."

The other shinobi was quiet for a while before she spoke.

"We already knew this was going to be the worst-case scenario. But it's not all bad—I think I may have found a possible ally. I'll be able to hide out on his ship for a while."

"You trust this man?"

"Not entirely. But if there's anyone able to stand up to the World Government, it's him and his crew."

Shikamaru felt a huge burden lift off his shoulders at her words. "Good," he sighed, "because we have another problem to deal with."

Joining the other nin at the table, Shikamaru took note of the confident expression on his friend's face and thought not for the first time how lucky he was to not have to do this alone.

"...I'm glad you're okay, Temari."

* * *

**A/N:** Hopefully this cleared up some of the questions alluded to in the last chapter. I had this written some time ago, but I decided to seek out several beta readers to help me polish things a little. Many thanks to ashardoffreedom and DestinyCrusader!

Random Comments/Musings:

-I was very tempted to write "the Iron Throne" instead of the Throne Room. GoT fans will know what I'm referring to. (Also, is it just me, or does Doflamingo remind anyone else of an older and more capable Jeoffrey lol?)

-So Shikamaru is also revealed to be impersonating Gekko Moriah. How he came to do so and what happened to the real Moriah will be revealed in time, probably around the Thriller Bark arc. FYI— at this point he has not yet infiltrated the Marines.

-Temari is in the story! I bet some of you thought it was going to be Ino, huh? Temari's a better fit for what I have planned since I see her as more badass/calculating than Ino. I also kind of need her to tie in someone else from Naruto-verse. She won't have a super big role, but her actions will set several important things in motion. In case it wasn't clear, she's Public Enemy #3 for killing the Tenryubito. Why she did it will be explained soon.

FYI—in this story, public enemies are not designated based on power/strength level, but on who the World Government sees as the most unstable, the most likely to wreck havoc, with the most influence, etc. Dragon is #1 not because he's the most powerful in OP (though he probably is pretty high up there), but because as leader of the Revolutionary Army he's the biggest threat to the current balance of power. Killing two Tenryubito is enough to escalate you to #3 because _everyone_ knows they're untouchable, so whoever has the gull to actually kill two of them is either batshit crazy or confident enough in their abilities to take on the whole world. But the actual act of killing the two nobles isn't hard at all; any decent shinobi or pirate should be able to do it.

The _really_ smart characters will have the sense to stay off the government's radar entirely. Someone like Neji would make more sense power-wise as enemy #3, but like Shikamaru I think he'll have the sense to remain discreet. You'll find that the shinobi on the World Government's hit list all tend to get somewhat reckless/hot-headed/over-confident at times.

Loguetown arc is up next. Already written, just need to be beta-ed. Should be up in 1 or 2 weeks. Remember to read and review!


	11. Chapter 8

**A/N**: Pretty pivotal chapter, in terms of plot development :)

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Chapter 8: The Lost History**_

* * *

The town of the beginning and the end…

It was a fitting description, in more ways than one.

"So that's Loguetown up ahead, huh?" Luffy squinted from his position above the Going Merry's mast, a hand raised across his forehead. "Looks exciting!"

"It's the last island before the Grand Line," Nami supplied, barely looking up from her maps. "Its ports are the busiest in the entire East Blue."

"We should stop and restock here," Sakura suggested, feeling an odd mix of anticipation and nervousness as she pondered just what she was about to find. "There are certain… things I need to take care of before we leave."

Zoro cracked an eye open from where he was pretending to sleep. "So you've been here before?"

"Yeah… Loguetown's kind of been my base of operations for the past two years."

"So anything exciting to do here?" Luffy asked eagerly, having grown increasingly restless after two days of inactivity. "If not, let's make this a quick stop and head to the Grand Line."

"What's the rush?" Sakura shrugged. "Besides, I would've thought you of all people would have wanted to see the execution stand, if nothing else."

Luffy's face was utterly clueless, his head tilted and a sparkling curiosity in his eyes. "What execution stand?"

"You didn't know?" Sakura arched a brow in surprise. "And here I thought becoming the Pirate King was your dream."

The confused expression on Luffy's face was so adorable it almost made up for his obliviousness. Deciding to take pity on her airheaded captain, Sakura explained patiently, "Loguetown is both the birth place and the execution place of Gol D. Roger, hence its nickname as 'the town of the beginning and the end.' You _do_ know who Roger was, right?"

"Of course I do!" Luffy scowled at the pink-haired ninja. "I'm going to find One Piece and become an even more badass Pirate King than he was!"

"Then you best start paying more attention to what's going on in the world," Sakura chastised gently. People _did_ tend to underestimate the Straw Hat captain due to his dense appearance, but in her experience those who remained oblivious tended to end up dead sooner or later. Considering that Nami was the only one among their crew of misfits who even read the paper, perhaps it was time the rest of the crew learned their lesson.

"Information is power, Luffy, and knowing is half the battle. You need to start paying more attention to your potential enemies, and get a sense of just how much _crap_ stands between you and your dream."

Luffy's head lowered, face partially obscured by his signature straw hat. He was quiet for a while before he raised his head and a look of determination steeled his gaze. Staring Sakura dead in the eyes, Luffy responded with a simple, "I know."

Sakura paused. "What?"

"I know it won't be easy. I know there are a lot of powerful people out there who are competing for the same prize." Luffy's voice was uncharacteristically serious, but then his face broke into one of those wide, all-consuming smiles that he was famous for. Placing a hand on top of the hat that Shanks had entrusted to him, Luffy continued with conviction. "But I made a promise, and I have a dream. Nothing's going to get in the way of that."

For a moment, Sakura was taken aback. That certainly wasn't the reaction that she had been expecting. While her rational side knew it was silly and argued that sentiment meant little in the harsh life of a shinobi, she couldn't help but be reminded of a certain knuckle-headed ninja who still held onto his dream of one day becoming Hokage. There was just something infectious, something awe-inspiring, about an outlandish dream followed through with such passion. As Sakura turned away and looked out to the ocean, she couldn't help but smile in wonder.

Because who was she to tell him no?

* * *

Today was an abnormally good day for Loguetown's sole weapons merchant. Not only had business been absolutely abysmal lately due to the Marines' crackdown, but his wife hadn't stopped nagging at him since the last shipment came in. So when a clueless-looking kid with green hair waltzed in with the famous Wado Ichimonji, an _Ō Wazamono_ sword worth over a million beli, the merchant was sure his fortune was finally about to turn around.

"How about 100,000 beli for it?" the merchant suggested slyly, sure that the kid was ignorant of the sword's true value. "You'll be able to buy 3 decent swords then."

Before Zoro could respond that his sword wasn't for sale, the Kuina look-alike from earlier pushed her way to the front and interjected herself into the conversation.

"Don't listen to him—he's trying to scam you." Leaning in close, Tashigi pushed her glasses up her face and inspected the sword by his side. "That's Wado Ichimonji, right? It's easily worth ten times what he's offering you."

Unnerved by her resemblance to his childhood friend and intensely uncomfortable at her close proximity, Zoro backed away from the Marine lieutenant and in his haste stumbled into a rack of swords. Cursing as he eyed the mess he'd made, Zoro mumbled something about 'damn look-alikes' under his breath and began to randomly put the swords back on display, entirely out of order.

"Don't bother," a familiar voice spoke from the entrance, dry amusement in her viridian eyes as she took in the scene. Zoro looked visibly unsettled, while Tashigi remained clueless to the swordsman's discomfort. "His wife will just make him rearrange it all after, right Ojii-san?"

Eying the new arrival with fondness, the aged storeowner grumbled good-naturedly, "Ah, I was wondering when you would be back, brat."

Sakura grinned. "Missed me, old man?"

"Not a chance. I just want my payment. Your order has been taking up space in my store for weeks now."

Throwing a sack of gold coins on the counter, Sakura readied a couple of storage scrolls before asking casually, "I trust everything's here then?"

The old man hefted a large case over from the back with some difficulty. "Of course. I can't believe someone actually still wants these old relics. Who did you say your client was again?"

"Just some crazy collector." Opening the chest, Sakura let out a low whistle in appreciation as the rows of gleaming kunai, shuriken, and senbon met her eyes. Her supply from Konoha was running dangerously low, and it had been incredibly difficult to secure a set of even the most basic tools. Like everything else from her village, weapons like kunai and exploding tags didn't exist here, and she had to have the old geezer specifically track these down from trade merchants all over the East Blue. They were a little aged, but with proper care they would be as good as new.

"Not bad," the Leaf nin nodded in approval. "Maybe it'll even make up for those crappy semi-automatic prototypes you sold me. They jammed like crazy, by the way. I want my old flintlock 9mms back."

"Excuse me," Tashigi questioned with an excited note in her voice, catching the pink-haired nin's attention. "I was just wondering, your swords… Are they—?"

"Oh these?" Sakura gestured carelessly to the twin blades on her back and took the opportunity to cast a small genjutsu in Tashigi's moment of distraction. "They're just ordinary tanto. I don't even know how to use them that well."

Zoro snorted from where he was still picking out swords, and Sakura sent him a warning glance before redirecting the conversation back to the swordsman. While it wouldn't exactly be a disaster if the Marine lieutenant connected the dots, she still preferred to keep a low profile when possible.

"See anything you like yet?" Sakura quipped as she turned to Zoro, trying to ignore Tashigi's inquisitive gaze that still lingered on her back.

A certain blade _did_ catch his eye, and Zoro casually raised _Sandai Kitetsu_ in the owner's direction. "How much for this?"

The storeowner paled. "That's not for sale."

Zoro smirked. "Because of the curse? Why don't we put it to the test? My luck against the curse."

Holding out his arm, the swordsman tossed the blade up in the air, and Sakura didn't realize what he was about to do until it was too late. She had taken advantage of Tashigi and the owner's momentary focus on Zoro to seal her latest weapons haul into her storage scrolls; never would she have anticipated such a reckless and _stupid_ move by the swordsman. Yet even she couldn't deny his incredible luck as she watched the blunted edge of the sword circle neatly around Zoro's arm, landing harmlessly on the ground.

The kid must have been a saint or something in his past life. No way was anyone that lucky. To make things even better, the owner gave not only _Sandai Kitetsu_ to Zoro for free but also passed on his family heirloom, _Yubashiri_.

Shaking her head slightly even as a smile tugged on her lips, Sakura listened halfheartedly to Tashigi's enthusiastic lecture on the two _Ryō Wazamono_ swords. Eying the lieutenant's intensely thoughtful gaze, Sakura signaled discreetly to Zoro that it was time to leave.

"That was kind of a stupid move," Sakura pointed out wryly, once they were out on the streets. "What if you really did cut off your arm? Was testing your luck really worth the risk?"

The swordsman only gave her a smug smirk. "But I didn't, did I? Besides," he grinned, "even if I lost my arm, I would never stop pursuing my dream of one day becoming the world's greatest swordsman."

Sakura shook her head again. Despite the recklessness of his actions, she had to admire his self-assurance. The Leaf nin idly wondered just how far the Straw Hats' naive but determined attitudes would get them. They definitely had potential, and perhaps more heart than anyone else she'd met, but would that be enough in a world rife with monsters?

_Then again,_ Sakura thought, glancing back at Zoro as he slipped his newly-acquired swords into his sash, _with this combination of talent, determination, and luck, __they might just be monsters themselves._

"You know," she finally replied, "if you ever _do_ lose an arm, don't come asking me to reattach it."

* * *

In a secure safe room, a troubled pineapple-head focused intently on the half-decrypted document in his hands.

**Project Orange**

_WARNING: Unauthorized access by personnel below Admiral-rank is comparable to treason and punishable by severe disciplinary action. Read at your own risk._

_July 15, Year 874 After Void Century (AVC). _

_Subject is male, early- to mid-twenties. Blonde hair, blue eyes. 6'1''. Discovered at the edge of Marineford by Vice Admiral Tezuhi. Subject appeared to be in a semi-catatonic state, barely lucid, and shrouded in some sort of volatile red energy. Tezuhi was ordered to bring the subject back to headquarters for questioning, but upon physical contact triggered some sort of reaction. Subject transformed into a giant fox— perhaps a Zoan-user? _

_Note: Subject had eight tails. Mythical Zoan user?_

_Note 2: Tezuhi KIA. Divisions 4, 13, and 17 wiped out entirely. The damage to base was catastrophic and would take months to rebuild. _

"July of Year 874…" Shikamaru repeated thoughtfully. "That's almost exactly two years ago. Hatake sent us here on July 8, so the 15th puts Naruto's appearance roughly a week after Madara's attack…"

Idly wondering what could have possibly delayed the blonde for a week, Shikamaru read on apprehensively.

_July 29, 874 AVC._

_Subject is temporarily contained in the Southeastern Passage. Admiral Aokiji managed to freeze the surrounding water in a one-mile radius and encase the subject in 1,000 tons of solid ice. Subject is kept heavily sedated and poisoned, but has shown a curious ability to metabolize the drugs at an astounding pace. Need to further look into whether this healing ability is part of Mythical Zoan powers._

_Note: Aokiji mentioned how the subject reverted back to a human form voluntarily, thereby giving him the time and opportunity to capture him in ice._

So Naruto had flipped out in his eight-tailed state and that was how he totaled Marineford. From the sounds of it, it wasn't even intentional. But how had he regained control and stopped the fox from breaking out?

_September 18, 874 AVC._

_Subject had regained consciousness today. Admiral Aokiji managed to contain the situation before it got out of hand. Need to decide on an execution date, preferably soon. _

_September 22, 874 AVC._

_Execution date decided by the Gorosei to be one month from today. Shichibukai informed of recent developments._

Ah yes, he remembered that meeting. It was only weeks after he'd escaped from Thriller Bark and taken over Gekko Moriah's identity. Curiously, Naruto was never brought up again, despite the imminent one month execution date.

_October 19, 874 AVC._

_Execution postponed. Dr. Vegapunk managed to uncover some… interesting samples from the subject. He called it the "scientific discovery of a lifetime."_

_November 6, 874 AVC._

_Execution postponed indefinitely. Subject to be transferred to Dr. Vegapunk's central research facility for further testing. Further documentation thereafter to be handled by the First Science Division._

_Note: Subject henceforth codenamed 'Project Orange'. _

Clenching his hands tightly as he bristled at his friend being subjected to a mad man's experimentation, Shikamaru forced himself to remain calm and flipped several months ahead to see what Vegapunk's team of scientists had managed to find.

_February 13, 875 AVC._

_Subject Orange has been confirmed to be biologically different than the rest. Traces of an unknown energy reside in all parts of his body, travelling in channels almost akin to blood vessels. However, this energy appears to be different in nature from the red samples collected during his initial attack._

_Note: The red samples proved much more destructive. Need to test more theories on how to rekindle this red energy in Orange._

Red energy… Were they referring to the Kyuubi's chakra? This couldn't be good…

_July 23, 875 AVC._

_Major progress has been made today. We have finally succeeded in regenerating the red energy in the subject. Proceeding to Phase Two of Project Orange. According to Dr. Vegapunk, the potential to weaponize this energy is enormous._

_Note: Increased neurological activity observed in Orange. Possible correlation with renewed seepage of red energy?_

_Note 2: Dosage of sedatives doubled due to increased metabolic activity._

The daily entries ended abruptly after that. Frowning slightly as he flipped impatiently through the rest of the file, Shikamaru discovered only one brief entry on the very last page.

_August 17, 875 AVC._

_Subject escaped during his daily sedation regimen two days ago. In addition to displaying curious skills such as the ability to walk on water, compress air, and clone himself by the hundreds, subject has been proven to match Fleet Admiral Sengoku in strength. While specifics of the battle are unknown, our instruments have recorded sky-high readings of the corrosive red energy before the subject voluntarily surrendered. Further testing has been indefinitely suspended. Subject has been transferred to a temporary stronghold. _

_This concludes the documentation on Project Orange by the First Science Division. Further experimentation will be conducted by Dr. Vegapunk personally._

* * *

Oh god... and to think this was only _half_ of what the file contained.

Burying his face in his hands, Konoha's number one genius sat down and forced his emotions to the back of his mind. He needed to approach what he'd just read rationally and objectively, and not let his anger cloud his judgment.

Ten minutes later, Shikamaru raised his head and got into his patented thinking pose. So Naruto was still under Marine custody, kept prisoner in some unknown facility. Two years ago, he had managed to force the Kyuubi back after transforming into his eight-tailed state, yet Vegapunk's team of scientists had somehow managed to bring back the Kyuubi's presence. The return of the Kyuubi's chakra would certainly explain how Naruto was able to burn through his sedatives, and break out a second time… only to voluntarily surrender once again. He knew Sengoku was by no means an easy opponent, but the Naruto he knew would rather die than voluntarily give up. No, the only explanation Shikamaru could fathom for Naruto's surrender would be if he felt he needed to be locked up. Perhaps they had a hostage, or whatever Vegapunk had done had screwed up Naruto's seal and he could no longer keep the Kyuubi in check.

Then there was also the question of what had set Naruto off in an eight-tailed berserker state in the first place. What could have happened in the week after they'd all agreed to escape to the seas? If Marineford _was_ indeed Naruto's first stop, then he could have been delayed in Konoha for up to a week. It _was_ possible, Shikamaru supposed, that the Akatsuki had something to do with Naruto's unstable state two years ago. Whatever the case may be, only Naruto knew the full story, and unfortunately they were no closer to finding their friend even after two years of searching.

Rubbing his temples tiredly, Shikamaru paled as he considered what Vegapunk could have accomplished after having experimented on their most powerful jinchuriki for two full years. The ramifications were almost too scary to think of. He had only met the man's hologram once through a video den den mushi, but Shikamaru's impression of the brilliant doctor was a classic mad scientist who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. The report had mentioned something about potentially weaponizing the Kyuubi's chakra... How far had they gotten? How much did they know?

Regardless, there was only one place to start. Although a million other questions swam in his mind, Shikamaru knew his next steps were clear.

"How troublesome… Looks like it's time for Hinata to pay dear old Vegapunk a visit."

* * *

The Halcyon was perhaps the only place on the entire island where the Marines had little to no jurisdiction.

Cleverly hidden in the slums of Loguetown's Red Lights district, the storeowners ran a squeaky clean business that was legit on every level. While it was common knowledge that the pub functioned as a central hub for East Blue's mercenary underground, the Marines had no legal basis to shut it down. Unlike pirates who could always be arrested on charges of piracy, mercenaries lived and breathed secrecy. It was incredibly difficult to build a definitive case against any one of these slippery bastards. And as this was the one part of town that continued to attract shady characters, Smoker resolved to crack down on the mercenary scene as soon as he was finished cleaning up the pirate scum.

Having discarded his white Marine coat earlier, the white-haired captain sat down at the far end of the bar and tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible. He had received a cryptic message with a meeting time and place earlier this morning, and Smoker had a pretty good idea who the message was from.

So to make up for the three hours she'd made him wait last time, the Marine captain had intentionally shown up three hours later than agreed. That, and he didn't particularly look forward to explaining why he'd returned empty-handed.

The Reaper could be a scary woman when she was angered. Smoker suppressed a shiver as he recalled her many creative death threats.

"Sorry sir, we have a no smoking policy here."

_Ah yes, and there goes my second reason for hating this place._ Smoker reluctantly put out his cigars and leaned back, searching for any signs of his correspondent.

"You're late," an irritated voice muttered lowly from his left, echoing their last meeting line for line, "by three full fucking hours."

Smoker's head whipped around sharply. How the hell had he not noticed her presence? She was sitting only two seats away!

"Well," he settled for sarcasm instead, "ain't karma a bitch?"

Sakura pulled back her hood and fixed the man to her right with a withering glare. With so many infamous psychotic teammates and teachers, she had learned a thing or two about intimidation. "Don't play with me," Sakura's voice was dangerously soft. "We had a deal. Where's my payment?"

"Technically," Smoker pointed out, "you never held up your end. Hawkeyes is still alive."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "It's curious, isn't it?" she whispered mockingly, "That despite how much you claimed to want Hawkeyes dead, you and your team personally escorted him to the central medical facility in Marineford?"

At the other man's surprised silence, Sakura arched a brow. "You think I didn't know? I suspected something was up from the very beginning. How very unfortunate that your plan to have Hawkeyes kill me didn't exactly work out."

Smoker downed his drink before turning to the mercenary with a flat look.

"If you're looking for an apology, you're wasting your time."

"I don't particularly care for anything you have to say." Sakura discreetly signaled to the bartender to start clearing out the pub, in preparation for the worst. "I had Hawkeyes at the brink of death, and he would have died if you marines haven't saved him. I fulfilled my end of the bargain, so you better have what I asked for, or things are about to get real ugly real fast."

"I did search our central database for the list of terms you gave me," Smoker relented after a long tense pause. "There was only one hit: Project Orange."

Sakura straightened. The first thing that came to mind was Naruto, but with something as vague as 'Project Orange' there was no way to be sure. But if the file _was_ indeed referring to her orange-obsessed teammate… did that mean he was currently in their custody?

"And?" she asked breathlessly, not wanting to get her hopes up. "Where's the file?"

"Sealed. Just like every other file from two years ago. Access is completely restricted to anyone below Admiral rank."

"So you're basically telling me you've got nothing," Sakura muttered in disbelief. She did _not _just almost die trying to cut down the world's strongest swordsman for only verification of a file's existence. What's more, 'Project Orange' could have nothing to do with her old teammate at all, especially if all the other searches had turned up empty.

"Let's make a new deal," she stated sharply. "There's something else I want you to look into."

"What makes you think you're in a position to make any demands?" Smirking slightly, Smoker pointed out matter-of-factly, "In case you haven't noticed, there's now a 500 million beli bounty on your head. You should be thanking me for not arresting you right here and now."

The Leaf nin rolled her eyes. "Oh please," she scoffed, "what makes you think you can catch me?" Ignoring the Marine captain's irate glower, Sakura continued without skipping a beat. "Besides, I bet the World Government would be absolutely _delighted_ to know that one of their own sent an assassin after a formal ally. I'm sure the rest of the Shichibukai won't revolt or anything."

It took a minute before the implied threat in her words sank in. The marine captain leaned back in disbelief. Was she _blackmailing _him? There _would_ be a riot if word got out that the Marines had sent an assassin after one of the Shichibukai— it would totally upset the balance of power. But there was no way anyone would take the words of a killer-for-hire seriously… unless she had definitive proof. Following Sakura's pointed gaze to the ceiling, Smoker swore as he finally noticed the small surveillance den den mushi in the corner, covertly recording every word of their conversation.

Well, he'd already made one deal with the pink-haired witch. What was the worst that could happen with one more?

Smoker sighed. "What do you want?"

Grinning slightly at her small success, Sakura waved her hands dismissively.

"Just some old history books— nothing illegal. I've been doing some research, and can't seem to find anything for the period I'm looking for."

The captain was obviously surprised at her unusual request, but didn't question it.

"How far back?"

"800 years ago."

Smoker outright laughed. "You're kidding, right?"

The Leaf nin was in no mood to play games. Not only had she hit yet _another_ dead end on finding Konoha, but the World Government could very well be keeping her last remaining family prisoner. Fixing the white-haired marine captain with one of her deadliest glares and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, Sakura leaned in and hissed with no small amount of venom, "Do I fucking look like I'm joking? Records from 800 years ago—do you have them or not?"

"Of course not," Smoker scowled, roughly jerking his shirt free from Sakura's iron-grip. "That's the Void Century—no one knows what went on in those hundred years."

* * *

**A/N**: Sorry for the long wait, but I hope it was an enjoyable read! Lots of thanks to my two amazing betas and everyone who reviewed— your continued support is my best source of motivation.

Random Notes:  


-I really hope this was clear, but Sakura asked for history from 800 years ago because of what Hawkeyes said to her about her tantos in their fight (chapter 3), implying that she's 800-900 years in the future.

-The After Void Century (AVC) dating system is completely made up. I wanted to use real dates, but then I realized I have no idea when OP takes place. Can anyone tell me what the AOS dating system in OP-wiki is?

-Naruto's backstory is finally revealed. I know pieces were presented in a disjointed fashion before, so hopefully this clears up what happened. Shikamaru only managed to decode half of 'Project Orange', and thus only found out Naruto's whereabouts in the first year since everyone escaped to the seas.

-I hope Sakura didn't come off as too condescending in the beginning. Keep in mind that there is a tremendous cultural gap between Naruto-verse and OP-verse, and Sakura is particularly pessimistic/cynical given the context of the AU Konoha rebellion. I do plan on making the Straw Hats more aware of their enemies, because with a strategist type on board it just makes sense.

I've finally caught up to speed with both mangas, and I have to say... my number one bias has definitely shifted from Naruto to One Piece. One Piece is still as entertaining as ever, but I'm not really digging what Kishi has been doing lately. I love how badass Naruto has become, but of course Sakura gets ignored AGAIN. And don't get me started on Sasuke—he used to be one of my favorite characters, but now I'm actually kind of tempted to write him out of this fic. I mean wtf is his reasoning behind wanting to kill everyone and destroy everything? Kishi did renew my interest in NaruHina though, so we'll see.

Sorry for the rant. Remember to read and review!


	12. Chapter 9

**A/N**: Sorry for the wait again. It's been a really hectic week for me, five final exams and three final papers. First time I had to pull four all-nighters in one week. On a happier note, I've just finished this creative writing course, where you had to write a different fic _every single day_ for the entire semester. I was looking back at my now sizable collection of 70-plus fics and was able to see a definite improvement in quality over time. Feels good~

Anyway, this is the last chapter before the East Blue saga wraps up (finally). Enjoy!

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Chapter 9: To the Grand Line!**_

* * *

The pub was silent for a good ten minutes before Sakura finally spoke up.

"The Void Century? What the fuck is that?"

Smoker shot her a wry look. The girl was usually extremely well-informed, so it was surprising that she remained in the dark with this particular piece of information. While research into the Void Century was strictly forbidden, most people knew of its existence. Hell, it was even in the basic middle school curriculum.

"The Void Century," he recited flatly, "is a century-long gap in recorded history, roughly 800-900 years ago."

Sakura furrowed her brows. A century long gap in recorded history? How the hell was that even possible?

"Are you telling me," she began skeptically, "that there's a hundred years missing in history, and no one in the last 900 years had the sense to look into what happened?"

"You really don't know, do you?" Smoker took the time to relight one of his cigars before explaining, "Study into the Void Century is strictly forbidden. Those who choose to ignore the government's warning risk ending up like the Oharan scholars."

The way Smoker referred to the Oharans gave Sakura an uneasy feeling. Hesitantly, she asked, "What happened to them?"

The marine captain fixed her with a bemused look, watching carefully for her reaction at his next words. "Their entire island was wiped out. All their archeologists were eliminated… down to the last child. Ohara is no more."

Letting out a sharp intake of breath, Sakura forced her face to remain impassive. "A bit excessive, don't you think?"

Smoker shrugged. "Perhaps. It's not my place to question the government's actions, and it was before my time anyway."

The Leaf nin couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something he wasn't telling her. Something about his body language was off when he emphasized the last 'child'. "There's really no one left to find out the truth?" she pressed, determined not to let another lead go cold.

Smoker narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Up until very recently, the Reaper had never shown any real interest in… well, anything. Although her choice of jobs and targets often made the higher ups incredibly nervous, there was the simple fact that those jobs came with the best pay. The World Government had essentially dismissed the mercenary as just another dangerous, materialistic tool to watch out for. For her to express such interest in the Void Century and Ohara, however… it had to be for more than just a job. Perhaps there was a personal connection... Just what could the Reaper possibly have to gain by inquiring into these matters?

"Well… there _was_ one child unaccounted for." He revealed at last, curiosity finally getting the best of him. He figured there was little chance the two could make contact anyway, so what was the harm? "Her name is Nico Robin."

_Nico Robin._ Sakura made a mental note to break into the Loguetown Marine Base one last time and look up the name. "And where can I find this Nico Robin?"

"No idea." Throwing down a few bills to pay for his drink, Smoker got up in one fluid motion and started towards the door. "There's nothing more I can tell you about events from 800 years ago. We're done here."

At the door, however, he stopped, and spoke without turning around.

"If you're smart, you'll stop looking into things that don't concern you. You're already number four on the World Government's hit list; every marine in the first half of the Grand Line will be on your trail once you leave here. What went on in the Void Century is the least of your worries."

Sakura narrowed her eyes, but didn't respond. This meeting… opened up more questions than answers. What Hawkeyes had told her during their fight was only one point of reference, but it was a pretty precise one. Not to mention all the other signs pointed to the possibility that she was somehow in another time as well. Samaheda was one. The steampunk technology here was another. The guns here were also much more sophisticated than anything they had in Konoha. Did this mean she was somehow sent to the future, and if so, how far?

She had been leaning towards 800-something years, but if 800 years before the current timeline was the Void Century, what did that mean for her world? That the Elemental Nations didn't exist? That they were wiped from history? What could have possibly happened after she and her comrades had escaped to the seas that the mere act of _studying_ their history was enough to guarantee a death warrant on your head here in this time?

She was so engulfed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice a discreet shadow watching her curiously from the corner, carefully taking in every word.

* * *

It was raining. Of course it was raining.

Dracule Mihawk scowled as he wrung the water out of his cloak and readjusted the direction of his raft. He had only visited his former rival three times in the past year, and it had rained heavily and relentlessly all three times.

Maybe this part of the Grand Line was just perpetually plagued with bad weather. If so, Red Hair must have phenomenal luck, since just as the Yonku's flagship came into view, the rain stopped. In fact, the area immediately surrounding Red Hair's ship was the only area in a ten-mile radius that _wasn't_ raining.

Hawkeyes was beginning to wonder whether the man was doing this to him on purpose. Perhaps he has acquired someone who could control the weather. It was hard to imagine someone having the power to constantly maintain such a heavy sheet of rain in this wide an area, however, so maybe this _was_ just one of the many peculiarities of the Grand Line.

Deftly pulling his small raft to the Yonku's flagship, Hawkeyes ignored the panicked shouts of Shanks' lesser crewmembers and marched confidently ahead, two wanted posters clenched in his hand.

"What a rare guest…" Shanks grinned as he stepped out from the Captain's quarters, catching sight of his rival and his signature blade. "He'd said you were close. Have you come for a fight?"

Hawkeyes eyed the deceptively laid-back posture of his rival and had to smirk at the irony. He had stopped fighting his most worthy opponent when Shanks lost his left arm, and now he was the one with the useless right arm. It _would_ be interesting to test his skills against the other swordsman, now that they were more or less on equal ground again. "Perhaps another time." He shrugged. "I have something else you might be interested in. This _is_ the kid you told me about, yes?"

Eying the wanted poster Hawkeyes held up, Shanks' face broke out in a wide grin as he registered the 50 million prize beneath Luffy's name. "So you've finally come…" he mused, "I wonder what sort of crew you've gathered, Luffy?"

"The dangerous kind." Hawkeyes held up the second wanted poster and grimaced as recognition flashed in Shanks' eyes.

"This is the kid that kicked your ass, isn't it?" Shanks laughed. He was having way too much fun at his rival's expense. "Are you telling me that she's part of Luffy's crew?"

"Yes. The Marines don't know it, but I'm almost positive."

Shanks raised a brow in question. "You didn't tell them?"

The Shichibukai shook his head. "It didn't seem important. Besides," he smirked, "I want a rematch, and the marines will only get in the way."

"So I'm curious," Shanks raised a bottle of rum as a peace offering before continuing, "just what sort of character was able to best the infamous Dracule Mihawk? There's awfully little to be found on the East Blue Reaper."

"She's good," the swordsman relented at last. "I _think_ her name is Sakura. She has many… curious abilities, to say the least."

"Why," first mate Benn Beckman interrupted, leaning forward from Shank's right to get a better look at the wanted poster, "is there no name associated with her poster?"

Hawkeyes shrugged, and took the proffered wine. "She never revealed her name. But one of the prisoners in Impel Down seems to know her… or the scent of her blood, anyway."

"The prisoner recognized her by the scent of her blood?" Beckman questioned skeptically, a thoughtful look on his face. "Who was the prisoner?"

Hawkeyes thought back to the conversation that had transpired just a week ago in the bottommost pits of Impel Down. He had gone down to the cells again after Magellan had left to attend to his own devices, but was able to gleam precious little from the cryptic prisoner.

"_Who are you?" he had asked, "How do you know the girl who was able to match my blade?"_

_There was only silence in the darkness for a while, before a voice finally replied._

"_The person you're speaking of… she's my closest friend. If you'd hurt her…"_

_Ah, and there came the sudden bloodlust again. Hawkeyes didn't know what Vegapunk did to his "finest experiment," but the blonde was clearly somewhat unstable._

_Deciding to try another tactic, Hawkeyes redirected the conversation back to safer grounds. "What's your name? Why are you here?"_

_The prisoner glared at him coldly, but reined in his killing intent. "Why don't you introduce yourself first before asking for my name?"_

"_Very well. I am Dracule Mihawk, one of the seven Shichibukai."_

"_Ah, one of the government's dogs... Let's make a deal. You answer my questions, I'll answer yours. Where's Sakura-chan?"_

_Hawkeyes eyed the prisoner curiously. "Is that her name?" he questioned, "The girl with the pink hair?"_

_The blonde seemed to realize he'd just revealed something the swordsman didn't know, and scowled before repeating his original question. "Where is she? Who's she with?"_

"_The East Blue Reaper is… well, in the East Blue. She's travelling with some crew… I believe they call themselves the Straw Hat Pirates."_

_A slight pause. Then,_ "_Is she safe?"_

_Hawkeyes nodded in affirmation. "I've answered your questions. Now answer mine. Who are you? Why are you here? What is Vegapunk doing?"_

_The prisoner was silent for a while before he answered, blatant hatred searing through his voice. "They call me Subject Orange. I'm here... because the World Government is a bunch of power-hungry bastards who have no idea what hell they're trying to bring upon themselves."_

"Some blonde kid," Hawkeyes finally responded, in reply to Beckman's question. "He's by far the most well-guarded prisoner in Impel Down, and Vegapunk personally called him his finest experiment."

Beckman frowned, but didn't say anything. He had a hunch on who the Shichibukai was talking about, and if he turned out to be right, then the situation was even worse than he'd thought.

"I need to go find our two other guests," he waved to Shanks, and gave a slight nod to Hawkeyes. "Don't drink too much— I don't want to hear you grumbling about your hangover _again_."

Their two newest acquaintances had suspected this would happen, and if the blonde prisoner _was_ indeed their missing 'jinchuuriki', then they had to get him out from Vegapunk's grasp right away. If the mad scientist had figured out a way to weaponize the demon's power… it could mean the end of the world as they knew it.

* * *

Sakura hummed lowly to herself as she strolled through the crowded halls of Loguetown's central Marine Base, disguised as just another recruit. She'd infiltrated this base enough times to have a perfect blueprint of its layout in her mind, and made a beeline for the back of the records room, where personnel files on dangerous persons were held.

"P… Q… R. Here we go." Opening the file cabinet containing the R's, Sakura raised a brow as she plucked out the folder labeled _Robin, Nico._

Her file was _huge._ It had to be at least three times as thick as the average file. Just who was this girl?

Before she could think any further, Sakura narrowed her eyes as she registered another presence in the room, watching her from the shadows.

Careful to keep her stance relaxed, Sakura weaved a subtle genjutsu to disguise her movements, and made a sudden lunge for the lurker, bringing a kunai to his neck.

"Who are you?" she hissed. "What do you want?"

To her surprise, her mystery stalker twisted around in an impossibly fast move and knocked her clean off her feet in one fluid motion, disarming her kunai and aiming to plunge it into her heart. Sakura grimaced as she raised her arm to block, and managed a last-minute Kawarimi.

Adrenaline pumping through her veins at the close call, Sakura backed away to a safe distance, jerked the kunai out of her arm, and waited for the stranger to make the next move.

"…Very good." His voice was deep, and utterly unfamiliar. "I was beginning to worry that your reputation was all talk, since you were entirely oblivious to my presence in the Halcyon."

Sakura tightened her grip on her blood-soaked kunai. Whoever this man was… he was bad news. "You followed me here all the way from the pub?"

The man inclined his head. "Indeed. I'm quite curious—what interest does a mercenary from the East Blue have in the Void Century?"

"What's it to you?"

"Oh, I'm interested in many things," he spoke casually, "especially in those who seek to oppose the World Government."

Sakura's mind whirled as she considered the man's statement. The stranger was clearly a force to reckon with, and Sakura wasn't sure if he was friend or foe.

"I am not your enemy," the stranger was saying, "I do believe we share a common interest."

"Oh?" the Leaf nin arched a brow. "And what might that be?"

"To eliminate those who seek to oppress us." The man lowered his hood, and Sakura's eyes widened in recognition as she took in the tribal tattoos on the left side of his face.

"My name is Monkey D. Dragon, and we have a lot to discuss."

* * *

In the center of the town square, a certain straw-hat rubber boy stared in awe at the execution stand, where his idol had muttered the famous last words that instigated this new age of piracy.

"So this is where Gol D. Roger took his last breath," he mused, climbing to the top and looking down at the bristling streets below. "What a great view!"

"Hey, get off from there! It's government property—"

Luffy looked down at the marine officer with the mega phone, just in time to see him get knocked unconscious by a woman with a giant mace.

"I've been looking for you, Luffy." The woman winked coyly. "Missed me?"

Luffy frowned in confusion. Who the heck was this chick, and how did she know him? "Who—"

A sudden explosion interrupted his question mid-sentence, and Luffy watched disinterestedly as the fountain behind the woman blew up. Curiously, the debris only slipped off her, and the woman remained completely unharmed.

"Apologies, Alvida." Now _this_ voice he recognized. What was Buggy the Clown doing here?

"What do you want, Buggy?"

Buggy struck a dramatic pose, and launched into his well-rehearsed monologue. Luffy scrunched his nose and tuned him out after the first sentence. Unfortunately, in his moment of inattention, Cabaji managed to ambush him and shackle his head to the execution stand.

The clownish pirate grinned cheerfully at his first mate's success.

"Time to die, Straw Hat Luffy."

* * *

"I have no interest in the Revolutionary Army," Sakura remained in a defensive stance, feeling completely blindsided. "In case you haven't noticed, I already have a large enough target painted on my back."

"Which is precisely why our interests are aligned," Dragon countered smoothly. "The World Government is hiding more than you know."

Sakura shrugged. "What government isn't? Whatever skeletons they have in their closet, it has nothing to do with me. I have no interest in fighting someone else's war."

The Revolutionary leader sent her a calculating glance. "I've overheard Captain Smoker mentioning a certain 'Project Orange.' I wonder... what exactly did you think he was referring to?"

Sakura carefully hid the confusion from her face. What was Dragon implying?

"You know something." Her voice was hard. It wasn't a question. "Tell me."

The other man was silent while he considered just how much to reveal. Finally, he began slowly, "I know 'Project Orange' is referring to a blonde kid about your age, who appeared out of nowhere and leveled Marine Headquarters two years ago, and severely injured Sengoku during an escape attempt one year ago. I know he shares many of the same skills as you, and can turn into an eight-tailed fox at will."

With a shrewd glint in his eyes, Dragon dropped the last bomb.

"I know that he's being kept captive in Impel Down, as Vegapunk's most ambitious science project to date."

Sakura felt her blood run cold at his words. There was no mistaking that description.

_Naruto…_ _what the hell did they do to you?_

Keeping her face impassive and her voice even, Sakura addressed Dragon with renewed interest.

"Why are you telling me this?" she questioned, still unsure of the revolutionary's motives. "What do you hope to gain from helping us?"

"That's irrelevant," Dragon dismissed casually. "All you need to know is that we both stand to benefit from your friend's escape."

Sakura felt her suspicions peak even further at the vague answer. "How?"

"Let's just say that if Vegapunk finds a way to harness and replicate your friend's power, then we'll _really_ be fighting a losing war."

If Sakura was rattled before, she was absolutely horrified now. She didn't know much about the mad scientist personally, but she had read reports of how he'd successfully harnessed lasers and incorporated them in mindless cyborgs he called Pacifistas. If the Marines had seen Naruto in his eight-tailed state, then there was a very real possibility that they knew about the Kyuubi as well.

An army of Kyuubi Pacifistas was almost too horrific to imagine.

"How do you know all this?" she pressed, struggling to keep a clear head and not let herself be overwhelmed by this new information.

"I have people on the inside," Dragon replied, lips turning upwards in a cryptic smirk. "We have eyes and ears everywhere. You and your friends aren't nearly as discreet as you think."

_Friends? _Interesting choice of words. Was someone else from their group here aside from her and Naruto? If so, did they make contact with the Revolutionary leader willingly, or was there something else going on that Dragon wasn't telling her?

Before Sakura could question Dragon further, a commotion in the center square drew both of their attentions.

"Is that… _Luffy?"_ she muttered in disbelief, squinting into the distance. How had the rubber boy managed to get himself shackled to the former pirate king's execution stand? Honestly, if there ever was a walking embodiment of Murphy's Law, Luffy was it.

"Think about what I said," Dragon spoke, before turning on his heel. "I'll be in touch."

As the Revolutionary leader walked away, his cloak flapping behind him dramatically, a small beetle flew over to Sakura, before reattaching itself to Dragon's cloak. Despite this being the first time she'd seen this particular breed of insect in almost two years, there was no mistaking the Aburame's signature kikaichu.

Allowing a small smirk of her own to grace her lips, Sakura absentmindedly started towards the village square to rescue her wayward captain.

Apparently Dragon wasn't as well-informed as he had thought… not if he didn't know he was being spied on himself. She was still unclear on why or how Shino came to spy on the revolutionary, but now that he knew her location it wouldn't be long before he made contact. She had a million questions and a dozen theories, but there was not much she could do on her own with this little information.

At least she now knew she wasn't the only one stuck in this world. At the very least, Naruto and Shino were here as well. Sakura felt her blood boil at what the World Government had done to her old teammate, and resolved to beat Vegapunk within an inch of his life for hurting her best friend.

Impel Down was located in the Calm Belt surrounding the Grand Line, right? Perfect timing.

* * *

"I'M THE MAN…" a cheerful voice rang out clearly, "WHO WILL BECOME THE PIRATE KING!"

It was utter chaos in the town square.

Monkey D. Dragon watched with a wry smirk as his son remained utterly calm and defiant even in the face of his impending execution. He hadn't planned for Luffy to become a pirate, but it really shouldn't have been a surprise, considering Red Hair's influence.

"Hold on Luffy!" a green-haired kid with three swords ran by frantically, with another blonde kid not far behind. "We'll cut down that execution stand!"

Interesting… were those Luffy's crewmates? They weren't bad for a bunch of rookies who haven't even entered the Grand Line. Perhaps his son would make something for himself after all.

As Buggy brought his blade down, Luffy lifted his head and gave a wide smile.

"Sorry guys, but it looks like I'm dead."

"Not even going to lift a finger for your own son?" a soft voice muttered lowly from behind him, and Dragon whirled around, in time to see Sakura slam her fist into the ground. The force of her punch was enough to create a small quake that extended all the way from the back of the square to the execution stand, successfully shattering the base and unbalancing those on top. In that same instant, a lightning bolt struck the stand, and Luffy came crashing down, completely unharmed.

As Alvida and the others marveled at Luffy's incredible 'luck' at having both an earthquake _and_ a lighting bolt save his skin, Dragon turned toward the pink-haired mercenary and asked with a small note of surprise, "You knew?"

Shrugging slightly, Sakura corrected, "I suspected. You and Luffy do have the same surname, after all."

"How do you know Luffy?" Dragon questioned.

"Eyes and ears everywhere… and yet you have no idea what's going on with your own son." The Leaf nin shook her head at the irony. Flaring her chakra ever so subtly, Sakura caught the slight twitch of the kikaichu insect on Dragon's hood and knew the beetle had recognized her signal.

"I'm part of Luffy's crew," she spoke clearly, fixing her gaze to the kikaichu beetle. "If you ever need to find me, look for the Straw Hat Pirates."

"Hey Sakura-nee-chan!" Luffy called out from the base of the recently destroyed execution stand. "We have to move! Nami says there's a huge storm coming!"

Sakura gave a slight nod in Dragon's direction, and cast a small body flicker, reappearing instantly next to the rest of the crew.

"No need to shout," she muttered, eying the crowd of pirates and marines that blocked their escape. "Just start running, I'm right behind you."

As the monster trio cleared a path, Sakura glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of Smoker approaching on his motorbike. Eying the horde of pirates led by Buggy and Alvida running behind them, Sakura signaled for Luffy and the others to go on ahead, before pivoting sharply and coming to an abrupt stop, effectively blocking the other pirate crew's escape.

"Get out of the way, pinkie!" Alvida hissed, readying her mace to attack.

Sakura's face darkened. She _hated_ it when people called her pinkie. "Just for that," she scowled, "I'm going to make sure you rot in a cell."

Tossing a scroll open and biting her thumb, Sakura unsealed her newly acquired weapon and easily blocked Alvida's strike with the wrapped Samehada. She could feel the sword hum in excitement as it quivered at the prospect of ripping into Alvida's skin, and Sakura grinned as she went on the offensive, shattering Alvida's giant mace into mere shards with a single blow. Despite still being somewhat unfamiliar at handling the sword, Samehada and her monstrous strength were quite a dangerous combination.

The other woman backed away, clearly shocked at being so easily overpowered. Sakura didn't give her any reprieve, closing in fast and moving to strike the vain pirate right on the face. Alvida couldn't move fast enough to dodge her lightning fast strike, but figured the wrapped blade would just slide off her, like everything else. To her surprise and horror, Samehada not only didn't slide off her skin, but actually _shredded_ it to ribbons.

"You bitch!" she screamed, half in agony and half in horror, clenching a hand to the right side of her heavily lacerated face. "You ruined my face! My beauty!"

Sakura didn't pay any attention to the woman sobbing hysterically on the ground, turning her attention to Alvida's clownish partner instead. Clowns always did freak her out, and the fact that this one had just tried to murder Luffy didn't help his case any. With a burst of speed, Sakura caught up to Buggy and cleaved him cleanly in two across the middle.

She was caught off guard when the two halves of his body reformed, but Buggy was in for an even bigger surprise, as mind-numbing pain erupted instantly from his middle, and he collapsed to the ground, coughing up mouthfuls of blood.

"Wha—" he sputtered, "What the hell did you do? My Bara Bara no Mi should make me immune to cutting attacks!"

Sakura suppressed a grin at the irony. Just his luck that he would face off against the one weapon in her arsenal that didn't cut. "Didn't I tell you?" she asked lightly, "This sword doesn't cut, it _shreds._"

Taking note of Buggy's rapidly whitening pallor, Sakura inclined her head to the side and mused thoughtfully, "If any cutting attack will just separate you into your component parts, then Samehada here must have shredded your internal organs at the disjunction. Have fun bleeding internally to death."

"Well," a gruff voice remarked casually from behind, "you've certainly made my work easier."

Sakura dodged out of the path of the familiar smoke monster, and tsk-ed in mock disappointment.

"My, my, Smoker-san. I leave you two entire pirate crews as a parting gift, and this is how you repay me?"

Smoker lit up another cigar and signaled to his men to round up the Buggy and Alvida pirates. "Well," he smirked, "I did say I was going to arrest you on sight the next time we meet."

"And I said there was no chance in hell I'd let you catch me," Sakura stated flatly, about to cast a small body flicker to escape to the Going Merry.

"Perhaps," Smoker agreed, but dragged out a second figure she hadn't noticed before from the sidecar of his motorbike.

"Sorry, nee-chan." Luffy grinned sheepishly and raised his cuffed hands weakly. "The smoke monster caught me by surprise."

Kairoseki cuffs... no wonder he couldn't fight back. Smoker probably circled around while she was dealing with Buggy and Alvida, and caught the straw-hat boy off guard.

"Turn yourself in," Smoker taunted, "and I'll let Straw Hat go."

Gritting her teeth, Sakura was about to launch into an offensive attack when a strong gust of wind suddenly knocked everyone off balance. The Leaf nin took advantage of the momentary chaos and grabbed her carefree captain from the marine's grasp, taking the time to force open the Kairoseki cuffs with her chakra-enhanced strength. Smoker made a wild grab for the two, but suddenly found his path blocked by a hooded figure.

Sakura arched a brow at the familiar back silhouette. "You again?"

"Go." Dragon commanded, but didn't turn around. "I'll find you both in the Grand Line."

Before Luffy could question who their savior was, Sakura grabbed him by his vest and took off in a dead sprint toward the docks. The Going Merry was already blown far into the water by the storm, and Sakura tightened her grip on Luffy as she water-walked the remaining distance, only letting go once they were safely on solid ground again.

Eying the rapidly disappearing town in the distance, Sakura looked to the turbulent sky and strengthened her resolve.

It was time to leave the town of the beginning and the end… in pursuit of a new beginning.

* * *

**A/N**: Hope you liked it! One more interlude chapter focusing on Naruto-verse up next, then we're finally in the Grand Line.

Random Notes:

-Some of you guessed the Void Century had something to do with the in-the-future thing, so kudos!

-Benn Beckman is apparently the smartest person in OP-verse, so I wonder how much he knows? Lots of hints in that brief scene.

-Is Dragon friend or foe? I LOVE how both OP and Naruto have so many characters with different motives. Makes writing this kind of crossover all kinds of fun. Btw, can anyone tell me if Dragon was the one who caused the lightning that saved Luffy in the original manga, or was it just pure luck? My betas tell me different things haha.

-Since several readers pointed out that Samehada won't actually be that big of a power up for Sakura and wanted to see her use it, I've added in the Alvida and Buggy scenes. Sorry if there were any Alvida and Buggy fans, but rest assured that this isn't the last we've seen of them.

-Who's excited to see Shino? Any guesses on what he's up to?

I'm surprised the pacing worked out so nicely. Oda wrapped up the East Blue arc in 100 chapters, and here the Grand Line portion will officially begin in Chapter 10.

Remember to read and review! I didn't have time to answer any reviews last time, but I'll try to answer any questions you have this weekend.


	13. Interlude 3

**A/N**: First look at what happened in Naruto-verse after Sakura & co. escaped to the seas.

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Interlude Three: Code Red**_

* * *

**def**: Warning of:

(1) A fire

(2) Hazardous conditions

(3) An external disaster and incoming casualties

* * *

_1 year prior to current story line, Sunagakure._

The sand dunes stretched for miles in the distance, red beads of sand glinting ominously in the crimson afterglow, the only remnant of the world that once was.

Sabaku no Gaara wrapped his scarf tighter across his face, and pressed on despite his exhaustion, determined to find out what had truly happened to his village. The last thing he could remember was discussing the Konoha crisis at the Kage's Summit in the Land of Iron; everything had been a hellish blur after that.

He remembered Konoha had been the first to fall. The Kazekage wasn't sure just what exactly had happened to the Konoha rebel army led by Naruto, but there had been reports of the Rokudaime Hokage conspiring with the Akatsuki leader to crush the rebel alliance. He had sent Temari over to investigate, and with her status as the Suna ambassador to Konoha, Danzo couldn't refuse without starting a war.

Unfortunately, that had been the last time he'd seen his sister before the transition happened.

The transformation had been subtle, just a flicker of dim red light spreading through the landscape. No one had thought anything of it at first, until Kankuro had ventured outside, and was bathed in the light of the blood red moon.

The blood red moon with ten black tomoes, spinning sinisterly high up in the sky.

A red haze clouded over his brother's eyes, and Gaara could still remember the brief flicker of horror on Kankuro's face, before the illusion took over and he lost all control, proceeding to systematically kill everyone around him.

Gaara couldn't quite remember what happened after that, but looking out at his surroundings now, something huge _must_ have gone down.

Hills of sand still stretched as far as the eye could see, but the sand was all that remained. Glowing with a dim, red tinge, the Suna desert resembled nothing of its former glory. The village was gone, plain and simple. All the buildings, the architecture… nothing existed anymore. He was sure he was at the right place—the familiarity of the sand confirmed it. Yet there was something different about the sand... almost like there was something crucial missing. With the sole exception of the ten lazily spinning tomoes in the moon, the entire desert was dead still.

No wind. No sandstorms. No vegetation, no oasis, nothing. Hell, even the volatile desert _temperature_ was still.

Ever since he'd woken up, the darkness of the night had never once lifted. It was impossible to tell how much time has passed—like time itself had been frozen.

Gaara wondered absentmindedly whether the red tinge of the sand was an effect of Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi, or whether the sand was actually stained red with the blood of his comrades. The genjutsu was truly all-encompassing, and even one as strong-willed as Kankuro had not been able to resist it.

He was pretty sure he'd fallen prey to it himself. He could vaguely remember going outside to restrain Kankuro, and in doing so had been exposed to the rustic moonlight. He didn't even want to think about what he may have done under Madara's control.

Sighing slightly as he finally resigned himself to accept the truth of the matter, Gaara looked down at where his village once stood, and contemplated his next steps.

When he had regained consciousness, he'd woken up to the image of Uchiha Madara's ominous Mangekyo Sharingan reflected in the sky. Not much could manage to faze the stoic red-head, but even the infamous Sabaku no Gaara was unsettled by the state of his new surroundings.

It wasn't until he'd stumbled across one of the _Tainted_ that he'd realized just how dead and rotten the world had truly become.

It was a freshly-promoted Suna-chunin, one that he remembered mentoring on several occasions. Matsuri was her name... only Gaara knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the person in front of him was no longer the Matsuri he remembered.

The telltale red haze clouded her eyes, and the former Suna nin took one look at him, saw the lack of red in his eyes, and rushed him with a kunai gripped in her hands, intent on ripping his throat out.

Before Gaara could command his sand to restrain the girl, the sand moved of its own accord, encasing Matsuri from head-to-toe. He was barely able to process what had just happened before the sand imploded, instantly liquefying the girl and showering the former Kazekage in a fountain of blood and gore.

Wiping the messy splatter out of his eyes, Gaara's heart sank as he realized what he'd just allowed to happen. He didn't know how it was possible, or why he hadn't sensed it earlier, but there was no mistaking the familiar uncontrollable bloodlust creeping up inside his subconscious now.

Damn it. Shukaku was back.

* * *

_3 months later, Fire-Wind border. (9 months prior to current story line)  
_

After endless days of searching in this barren wasteland, Gaara was now a firm believer in his brother's crack theory that the cursed Uchiha were the bane of humanity's existence.

The world was now a very different place from what he remembered, but there were three things the former Kazekage was absolutely certain of.

First, time didn't exist here. He suspected things may be perceived differently in the eyes of those still ensnared in Madara's fake reality, but the real world has essentially been frozen. He'd long lost track of how many days had passed since his awakening, but it had to be at least several months, if not longer. Yet in this hellish land, absolutely nothing has changed. Perpetual darkness encompassed the lands, stretching from the arid soil of the Suna desert to the once-lush forests of the Fire Country.

Second, he was almost certain that Shukaku's return had something to do with how he was able to escape the Uchiha's extensive genjutsu. The demon was, of course, utterly uncooperative in answering his questions, and it had taken him a while to get used to its constantly screaming in his head again. As annoying as Shukaku's presence was, however, Gaara was grateful that the demon's influence somehow prevented him from being trapped in the cursed genjutsu again.

Third, his sister and best friend might still be alive… and untainted by the Uchiha's illusion. The proof was staring him right in the face, blood-red Sharingan eyes holding his gaze unflinchingly, even as his sand threatened to crush him to pieces.

"Why should I believe anything you say?" Gaara hissed, tightening his grip and starting to cut off the other nin's air supply.

To his credit, Uchiha Sasuke didn't even flinch. "Because," he replied, sounding both bored and irritated, "I'm the one that got you out of the Akatsuki stronghold all those years ago."

Gaara's eyes narrowed. "What?"

The former Akatsuki took the Kazekage's moment of surprise to create a quick Chidori Nagashi, breaking free of the sand prison and retreating a safe distance away. He didn't come here for a fight, and the sooner he got Gaara to listen to him, the better.

"Look," Sasuke ignored the other nin's bloodlust. "What's the last thing you remember?"

The Suna nin regarded him coolly for a moment, waging an internal war between his rational side and his instinctive side. He needed answers, but Shukaku was screaming for the Uchiha's blood like never before. Ignoring the biju's demands, Gaara glared at Sasuke before answering tensely, "The genjutsu… the blood red moon, encompassing everything… like a _plague_."

"And how long did you have the Ichibi back?"

Gaara was barely able to contain his surprise. "What do you know about that?" he questioned suspiciously.

Sasuke remained impassive, and contemplated how much he should reveal. He needed allies, and he had a feeling that unless Gaara got the whole truth, he wasn't going to be of much help. Sighing inwardly, Sasuke resigned himself to start at the beginning.

"The world has been stuck in a false reality for the past 876 years. After the Konoha civil rebellion failed and Naruto was captured, Uchiha Madara was able to extract the Kyuubi and create the Juubi, and shroud all five Shinobi Nations in his Infinite Tsukuyomi."

Gaara's face remained impassive despite the shocking reveal. He'd suspected as much. Those Uchihas really _were_ the source of all their problems. Crossing his arms, he asked wearily, "I suppose your Sharingan somehow made you immune to the genjutsu?"

Sasuke shrugged indifferently. "In a manner of speaking. But that's not what's important. Roughly six months ago, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, which served as a container for the Juubi, began to weaken. Traces of the biju's chakra began to seep out of the statue…"

"…and return to their former jinchuuriki." Gaara finished, starting to see where the ex-Leaf nin was going with this.

Sasuke nodded. "Exactly. Three months ago, the statue collapsed."

So only three months had passed since he'd woken up from the Infinite Tsukuyomi... yet it'd felt like an eternity. Was it really possible that the Elemental Nations have been trapped in a false reality for almost 900 years?

"Then why hasn't the illusion broken?" he pressed, still skeptical of what the other nin was implying. Even if Uchiha Sasuke _wasn't_ under Madara's influence, hell would freeze over before he trusted the traitorous bastard at his word.

...Although, Gaara thought wryly, _technically_, hell has _indeed_ frozen over.

"The illusion won't end until Madara is killed," Sasuke revealed, meeting the Suna nin's withering glare head on. "It may take the Juubi's power to enact the genjutsu, but Madara doesn't need its power to maintain it."

"Why," the former Kazekage paused, "are you telling me this?"

Eight hundred years ago, Sasuke would never even dreamed of saying what he was about to say next, to anyone, but things were different now. _He_ was different. "Because," he took a deep breath, and pushed aside his pride. "I need your help."

Gaara raised a brow. "With?"

"The Konoha rebel army…" Sasuke began slowly, "some of them may have escaped before the illusion was cast. Including your sister, who, if Kabuto's information was correct, was staying at the Hyuuga residence at the time of the attack."

The Kazekage waited expectantly for the other nin to elaborate. Could it be possible that there still remained people unaffected by the Uchiha's Infinite Tsukuyomi?

"During the main attack," Sasuke continued, "a week before Naruto's capture and the extraction of the Kyuubi, I think some of the rebel army was sent to the Outside, by Kakashi's _Kamui_. I know Naruto was… _disposed_ by Madara similarly after the extraction."

Gaara felt the rage creeping up inside him again at the mention of the blonde, and his voice was dangerous when he next spoke. "Naruto never once gave up on you; he looked to you as a brother until the very end… and you repaid him by handing him over to the Akatsuki?"

Sasuke suppressed a flinch at Gaara's words, and hissed harshly, "I had no hand in his capture. My assignment was the Eight-Tails."

Tendrils of sand stirred as Gaara's face darkened. "You knew the Akatsuki's purpose. You knew what they were planning. You knew the Kyuubi was sealed in Naruto. You knew they would come for him.._. and you did nothing to stop them._"

Sasuke didn't have anything to say to that. It was true. Back then, he had been so blinded by his thirst for revenge that he had been willing to sacrifice anything and everything to get it… including his former teammates. As Konoha crumbled around him all those years ago, there had been an initial stroke of satisfaction as he watched the life leave the eyes of the Konoha elders who had ordered the Uchiha massacre. After that, however… he'd felt nothing. Kakashi had always told him revenge would bring him nothing but emptiness, and it had taken 876 years of empty solitude for him to see the truth in his former sensei's words.

"I'm trying—" he muttered, an unstable, haunted look in his eyes. "Trying to fix this. I know my former teammates are still alive, in the Outside somewhere. The Elemental Nations… they don't exist on the map anymore. This entire area… it's lost in time. 876 years behind."

"If it'd truly been over 800 years since the others escaped the Elemental Nations..." Gaara frowned, "how do you know they're still alive?"

Sasuke wouldn't meet his eyes. How suspicious. "I have yet to work out all the mechanics of Madara's jutsu," he said lowly, "but there's a reason why the barrier between our world and the Outside is at its weakest exactly 876 years after the Infinite Tsukuyomi was cast. The only way to bypass the barrier is with a time-space jutsu like _Kamui,_ and my guess is that even a jutsu as powerful as _Kamui_ can only bypass the Sage of Six Path's barrier at its weakest point in time."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning when Kakashi had used his _Kamui _to send the others to the Outside, the jutsu would have automatically found the weakest point in the barrier's time-space continuum and sent them 876 years into the future."

"So after enduring 876 years of Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi, we are now exactly aligned in the same time frame as those who had escaped to the Outside all those years ago..." Gaara sighed. As much as he wanted to bash the Uchiha's head in, they had bigger problems on their hands. If what he'd said was true… if Naruto and Temari _were_ indeed out there somewhere, unable to find their way back because Madara's false reality existed in a different _time_… well, there was really only one solution.

"So we kill Madara. Break the illusion."

"No," came Sasuke's eventual reply. "Not yet."

The last Uchiha's tone implied he didn't wish to elaborate, but Gaara had just about enough of his bullshit. "You better have a damn good reason." he growled, forcibly pushing back Shikaku's murderous urges to keep a clear head.

"Say Madara dies today," Sasuke replied, "the illusion breaks. Time starts flowing again. The Elemental Nations are still 876 years behind. They'll never find a way back, short of using another time-space justu like _Kamui_."

"So what you're saying…" Gaara confirmed slowly, "is that we need to bring them back _here_, before we can kill Madara, and restart time."

"Yes." Sasuke's voice was firm yet his eyes were unfocused. "That's why I tracked you down."

The Kazekage eyed him suspiciously. "Why not go yourself?"

A million reasons came to mind. He needed to track down the other newly reawakened jinchuurikis and organize a resistance to overthrow Madara. His presence and continued mask of insanity was needed to keep Madara's expansive network of spies from arousing suspicion. He was working on a way to break the Infinite Tsukuyomi, reverse engineering Uchiha Shisui's mind control jutsu and casting it on the _tainted_ like his brother had done on himself all those years ago.

If he was completely honest with himself, however, Sasuke knew part of the reason he had neglected to do anything about the current state of the world for so long was his own insecurities. He was afraid… afraid to face his former teammates, all of whom he had tried to kill on more than one occasion. Afraid to own up to his actions, to admit the part he had played in the destruction of the entire shinobi race. Afraid that he really _had _screwed up for good, that there really were no second chances, no matter what Naruto may have said.

But no one was better than self-deception than the last Uchiha, and in true Sasuke fashion, he simply pushed these thoughts to the dark recesses of his mind, and opted for the simple explanation.

"My control over _Kamui_… it hasn't progressed to the point where I can use it on myself. I'm working on an alternative solution."

"How?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm offering you a chance to escape this hell and find the only people who managed to escape Madara's influence."

Gaara considered the former nuke nin's proposal. He still didn't trust the Uchiha— hell, his ancestor was the mastermind behind this entire mess. His explanation for not killing Madara outright was shaky at best and there was no telling whether or not he was just trying to get rid of him to further his own goals. Uchiha Sasuke was the walking embodiment of a traitorous bastard and there was no reason to believe he'd changed. Gaara was still suspicious of how Sasuke had tracked him down in the first place— just what had the Uchiha been up to in the past eight hundred years, and what could he hope to accomplish by offering him this opportunity?

On the other hand, there was nothing more he could do here on his own. His village was gone, everyone he knew had been reduced to nothing more than mindless puppets, and if there was even the slightest chance that Naruto and Temari remained unaffected on the Outside…

Having made up his mind, Gaara nodded to the younger Uchiha and ignored Shukaku's frantic screams about traitors and murderers. As Sasuke readied his Sharingan for the technique, Gaara asked one last question, genuinely interested in the other nin's answer.

"Was it worth it? Your revenge, was it worth… all this_?"_

Sasuke sent an inscrutable look at the red-head, and didn't answer for a long time. Eyes dead and slightly crazed, he finally spat out bitterly, "I've spent the last 876 years wandering the Konoha ruins alone, what the fuck do you think?"

Before Gaara could respond, Sasuke's eyes morphed into their distinctive red intersecting ellipses, and then there was a flash of bright light, followed by a sudden, terrible darkness.

* * *

_3 months later, some island in the second half of the Grand Line. (6 months prior to current story line)  
_

"Welcome!"

The former Kazekage ignored the waitress' greeting, and slid into the nearest stool by the bar. The place was insanely crowded, and Gaara had no desire to spend any more time in the pub than strictly necessary.

Three months in this unfamiliar land and he'd found absolutely nothing. Perhaps it had been a mistake to trust the Uchiha.

Curtly ordering a glass of water and downing it in a single gulp, Gaara leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes briefly, trying to fight the simultaneous urge to sleep and kill someone. Tuning out Shikaku's crazed ramblings on blood and killing, Gaara messaged his temples tiredly and tried to ward off the coming headache. He'd gotten rather used to the lack of a psychotic demon constantly screaming in his head since his first extraction, and now that Shikaku had returned _'Mother's'_ voice was even greater than before. While Gaara was infinitely more controlled in reining in the demon's bloodthirsty tendencies, the seal was weaker than ever, and three months of no sleep was starting to tear at his mental constraints.

A loud guffaw of laughter stopped Shikaku's homicidal urges in mid-thought, and Gaara turned to survey the crowd, trying to identify the source of the noise. It seemed to originate from one of the corner booths, and Gaara fought the need to kill everyone in that general area to shut those boisterous idiots up.

"Hey, where did Temari-chan go? To visit her boyfriend _again_?"

Gaara paused with his glass raised halfway to his mouth. There was no mistaking what he'd just heard.

"Yeah, think so. I wonder how long she'll be gone this time. Things sure are boring without her around."

Pushing past the crowd of people in the center, Gaara made his way to the corner booth and found it occupied by three men. They were quite an unusual group, with a freckled boy in his early twenties polishing off what must be his hundredth plate of food, while his two more mature-looking companions sat surrounded by an equally shocking number of empty tankards. The only thing they seemed to share in common beyond an impressive ability to consume wine and food was a tattoo of an old man with an outrageous beard.

"But I'm sure she'll—" the blonde paused mid-sentence, as he registered an unfamiliar presence watching them from afar. Pinpointing Gaara's exact location with ease, Marco the Phoenix addressed the red-head lazily. "Can we help you?"

If Gaara was surprised at being noticed despite him masking his chakra, he didn't show it. "This Temari person you were just talking about… can you describe her?"

Marco raised a brow at the odd request. "Depends on who's asking," he answered coolly. "What do you want with her?"

"That's none of your concern."

"Sorry, then," the blonde dismissed, "can't help you."

Before Gaara could ready his sand to torture the information out of the blonde, his freckled companion scratched his head, and snapped his fingers as recognition flashed in his eyes.

"Hey— I know you. I've seen you in one of her pictures."

Gaara paused. These people seemed to be on good terms with Temari… perhaps it wouldn't be the best idea to crush them for information.

Deciding to try the path of least bloodshed first, Gaara cast a small henge in Temari's image and ignored the three's astonished looks. "Is that her?"

"Whoa! How the hell did you do that?"

Reverting back to his regular appearance, Gaara questioned impatiently. "Well?"

Seeing as the freckled boy was still gaping at him in amazement, the third member of their table spoke instead. "Yeah, that's her. Who are you?"

"I'm... her brother."

"Got a name there, little bro?"

Gaara scowled at being addressed like a kid. "Sabaku no Gaara."

"Well, Sabaku no Gaara," the pompadour-haired man grinned, "I'm Thatch, fourth division captain of the Whitebeard Pirates."

The blonde raised a hand in greeting lazily. "Marco, first division captain."

"And I'm Portgas D. Ace, second division captain." The freckled boy grinned, before yanking Gaara down into the seat next to him and clapping him good-naturedly on the back. "Why don't you join us for a drink? Your sis pretty much comes and goes as she pleases, so your best bet for catching her would probably be to stay with us for a while, until she gets back. What do you say?"

Gaara blinked, slightly stunned at what had just happened. No one had ever had the gall to treat him so… _normally_ before. Before he'd met Naruto, everyone in Suna had been scared shitless of him, and after he became Kazekage, he had always been treated with the utmost respect. Even his siblings had never really dared to tease him like a little brother in the traditional sense, despite the three of them having grown significantly closer in recent years.

Eying this 'Ace' character next to him, Gaara wondered just what he'd agreed to as the boy turned his finger into flame, and then promptly fell over, asleep.

The Outside… it certainly was full of surprises.

* * *

**A/N**: Hope you liked it! One more piece of the puzzle on how Naruto-verse and OP-verse fits together. We know that Sakura's time is 800-900 years in the past, aka the Void Century, and now we find out part of the reason why.

Random Musings:

-I'm really excited to finally bring in Gaara and Sasuke! Sasuke you probably won't see in the main storyline for a while, but Gaara is coming soon. Can't wait to get to the Gaara-Ace-Naruto bromance/friendship. Kudos to those of you who caught Temari's association with the Whitebeard Pirates back in the last interlude. A really big deviation from OP canon is coming up next arc, but I think most people will love it.

-I have no idea if Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi is capable of freezing time itself in canon, but I'm going to appeal to some creative license here and say that it can. If Madara wants to create the perfect fake reality he needs to stay alive forever to maintain it, and with the Eternal Mangekyo _not_ giving him eternal life then he _has_ to freeze time. Which makes sense, because once the Infinite Tsukuyomi is cast, it doesn't matter if time is frozen in the real world, because his fake reality IS the new 'real' reality. Does that make sense?

-So the shinobi lands have been under this fake reality for 800-900 years, and no one in shinobi-verse has aged because time has quite literally stopped. With the Ten-tails' power I don't think control over time is too far of a stretch. Not to mention even regular Tsukuyomi distorts perception of time, and mind over body is everything. The Elemental Nations are literally 'stuck' in the Void Century. It may seem a bit confusing now, but it'll make more sense as I get to how the World Government fits into all this. (Hint- The Council of Kings quote in the Prologue was from 876 years ago!)

-Btw, 876 was not chosen as an arbitrary number. I would be _really_ impressed if anyone can guess how 876 ties back to Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi and the Sage of Six Path's barrier separating the Elemental Nations from the Outside.

-In case it wasn't clear, whatever Vegapunk did to Naruto around the 1-year-mark established a sort of "anchor" that drew the Kyuubi back to him. Hence Naruto was able to wake up from his drug-induced coma after he got the Kyuubi back (and make his first escape attempt). The Kyuubi's return to Naruto destroyed the statue, and thus all the other bijus returned to their former hosts as well, and Gaara woke up from Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi at the same time.

-Post-apocalyptic Naruto-verse was inspired by both the Walking Dead and firefly's fantastic 'The Sky Runs Red'.

-Since Sasuke is actually starting to see sense again, I couldn't bring myself to write him out of the fic entirely. I wasn't sure how well I managed to capture his character; I hope he's not too OOC here. But being the only one _not_ under Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi, in a world that never moves forward, surrounded by nothing but mindless puppets, is like being trapped in one giant prison for 876 years— that's enough time to reflect and come to his senses, don't you think? I do plan on writing Redemptive!Sasuke eventually, but he's not _quite_ there yet. Still kind of stuck in unstable-crazy-somewhat contrite-limbo.

Until next time! Remember to read and review!


	14. Chapter 10

**A/N**: Sorry for the extremely late update, real life took over with a vengeance. Rough summary below of everything that has happened so far regarding the timeline, hopefully it'll clear up some questions from the last chapter. Everything has been revealed or at least alluded to at one point, but given my sporadic update schedule I understand some details will be lost or forgotten.

Rough recap of the messed up timeline (feel free to skip):

_Note: This is from current OP-timeline's POV._

-880 years ago: Shippuden timeline begins, canon up until Pein invasion arc. Deviation from canon begins when Danzo had Root assassinate Tsunade in her coma and assume leadership of Konoha as Rokudaime Hokage. Naruto & co. escape underground.

-878 years ago: Konoha rebel army led by Naruto rebels. (This is the part covered by the Prologue.) The Konoha rebel army is driven back by an unexpected Danzo-Madara/Akatsuki alliance. Sakura & co. escape to the seas. Naruto is captured by the Akatsuki.

-The last interlude revealed that after the Konoha rebel army was defeated and Naruto captured, Akatsuki finished extracting all bijuus to make the ten-tails. Madara succeeded in casting his Infinite Tsukuyomi (also seen in the Prologue). All jinchurikis died in the extraction process (with the exception of Gaara, who had already been revived by Chiyo after his extraction, and Naruto, who survived his extraction due to Uzumaki longetivity).

-I kind of touched on how Sakura & co got to the future, but 876 years later, no one in shinobi-verse has aged because in this AU Madara's fake reality/genjutsu froze time. Hence how Sasuke and Gaara are still alive.

-Basically, Naruto-verse and OP-verse coexisted in the same world/planet all those hundreds of years ago, then Madara went and casted his Infinite Tsukuyomi on just the Elemental Nations, and thus time stopped in shinobi-verse for 876 years while the outside world (OP-verse) continued on as usual. That's why no one can find the Elemental Nations— because it's "lost in time", 876 years behind.

-The Void Century part I've alluded to but haven't fully explained yet, but from the Prologue we know that the ancestors of the Gorosei 800+ years ago made some sort of deal with Madara. So no one knows anything about the Void Century because it's basically one giant cover up, and study into it is strictly forbidden just like in canon.

-874 years after Madara implemented his Moon Eye Plan brings us to 2 years before current OP-storyline, which is when Sakura and co. first woke up in the Grand Line. This is when Naruto went berserk and leveled Marineford. From the p.o.v. of the shinobi who are currently stuck in the Grand Line, no time has passed since the final battle. Shikamaru & co. were sent to the future by Kakashi's Kamui, in order to escape Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi. According to Sasuke (who may or may not be telling the truth), Naruto was disposed by someone similarly after his extraction. Sakura was sent to the future by someone else, hence why she woke up alone in the East Blue (while everyone else was already in the Grand Line). Since Gaara was sent to OP-verse (aka 876 years into the future) by Sasuke's Kamui, he ends up in the ballpark of present OP-storyline.

-Now this has been alluded to but not fully explained, but Naruto went berserk when he first woke up because some remnants of the Kyuubi's chakra remained inside him even after his extraction, and it broke free due to the seal being broken/non-existent. Hence after his Marineford episode the next time Naruto woke up he couldn't feel the Kyuubi anymore.

-This brings us to the first interlude from Naruto's p.o.v.

-1 year later, Vegapunk's experiments on Naruto established some sort of "anchor" and the Kyuubi's chakra started to flow back into Naruto. After enough of the Kyuubi has returned to Naruto the statue collapsed and all the other tailed beasts broke free as well. Because Gaara is the only other jinchurriki alive Shikaku returned to him, and having the demon inside him again woke him up from Madara's fake reality/Infinite Tsukuyomi. All the other tailed beasts are just in their natural form right now, because their previous hosts are dead.

-Having Kyuubi inside him again enabled Naruto to wake up from his drug-induced coma, and he made his first escape attempt. This is what Sengoku was referring to all the way back in chapter 3 or 4. We know Naruto willingly surrendered for some reason, and I hope after the last interlude the why became clear. Naruto is currently holding back the Kyuubi without a seal and is thus a ticking time bomb. He is allowing himself to be locked up right now because he is scared of what the Kyuubi will do if he broke out. Since this fic is AU from the end of the Pein invasion arc, Naruto never got the chance to reach an understanding with Kurama. Gaara is also holding back the Shikaku without a seal, hence why his thoughts turned murderous so often even though he has gotten loads better in canon.

-1 year after this brings us to the start of the OP storyline. Sakura runs into the Straw Hats and shit happens.

Now on to the next chapter!

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Chapter 10: The End of an Era**_

* * *

The sun was just beginning to set behind the lavish horizon of Mariejois' central courtyard when Hyuuga Hinata finally entered the meeting room of the Celestial Council.

Among one of the most lavishly decorated rooms in the entire palace, Mariejois' Central State Room featured numerous priceless paintings by the old masters on its ivory walls, an expertly crafted table made from the finest mahogany, and a marble floor that had been waxed so thoroughly it gleamed like a mirror. A gigantic diamond chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting the room in rainbow pearls of light.

The truly striking arrangements, however, were the slaves.

Painted from head to toe in gilded gold, Mariejois' most beautiful slaves stood stiffly along the walls, posed in the forms of the classic antiquities. No sculpture could truly capture the beauty and grace of the human form as well as an actual human, and to be chosen to be gilded into living art for the Tenryubito's viewing pleasure was considered one of the highest honors a slave could achieve. To move an inch and mar the illusion, of course, was punishable by death.

Hinata grimaced inwardly as she noticed the strain in the muscles of the slave closest to her. The poor girl looked barely fifteen, and just about ready to collapse from the exhaustion of maintaining a leaping pose on tiptoes for almost three days straight. Despite all that, however, her smile remained as radiant as ever.

Not surprisingly, those who were raised as slaves from a young age had been practically brainwashed into smiling twenty-four seven. It was absurd, inhumane even— and just one of the ten million things she absolutely _hated_ about this place.

Strolling in confidently despite her lateness, Hinata took her seat in the extravagant jewel-encrusted chair at the head of the table, and peered through her tinted bubble at the seven other 'Celestial Dragons' on the Council, privately thinking she'd rather be anywhere else than here.

"Now that the all-important Saint Shalulia is here," the Tenryubito to her right, Saint Cecilia, said haughtily, "perhaps we can finally get on with this pointless meeting. Some of us have more important things to do than sit around listening to you preach all day."

"Quiet, Cecilia," the elderly Saint Louis admonished. Being similar in age, his daughter Cecilia had always seen her cousin Shalulia as some sort of rival. After the death of his brother Roswald and his niece Charloss two years ago, Cecelia's jealousy grew to a near unbearable level at the amount of attention and sympathy Shalulia received for the brutal murder of her father and brother. "Saint Shalulia has done more to rebuild our image among the commoners than any other person in this room. We wouldn't want another act of terrorism like the Sabaku incident, now would we?"

Hinata saw the opening and took the opportunity to retake control of the flow of conversation. "Indeed," she followed up gracefully, "after the deaths of Father Roswald and Brother Charloss at the hand of that barbarian slave girl two years ago, it is of utmost importance that we show the commoners who's in charge. However, incurring their hatred would only further undermine our power and safety."

A few at the table murmured in agreement, while the more brash members snorted in disgust. "To hell with the commoners," Saint Mjosgard sneered, twisting his features into becoming even more unpleasant than usual. "If any of them tries a stunt like that again, we'll just kill them all."

Hinata shot him an irritated look. She didn't think it was possible, but this was worse than trying to deal with the Hyuuga elders. It was quite unbelievable how simple-minded these people were— heck, even the Daimyos back home weren't this ridiculous. Entitled and conceited perhaps, but at least they understood the importance of garnering support among their people. It was really quite astonishing just how out of touch the Tenryubito were with the popular perception of their regime's legitimacy.

"What's to prevent them from killing you first?" she asked in her most condescending voice. "My father and brother's deaths were hardly isolated incidents. Fifteen years ago, the fishman named Fisher Tiger did break into Mariejois and not only freed all our slaves, but also came close to killing Saint William, did he not? If we continue as we are now, it will only be a matter of time before another suicidal maniac targets us again."

"We have the Marine's support," Saint Jalmack pointed out. While he was more level-headed than the rest, he too saw nothing wrong with their current way of life. "One word from us, and the Admirals come running."

_Not for much longer,_ Hinata thought triumphantly to herself. It had always baffled her why the World Government and the Marines would show such loyalty to the Tenryubitos, as they were essentially rulers without armies or kingdoms. Nine months ago, she had found her answer in the Court's old legers. While the Tenryubito had no military power or popular support, what they did have in spades was money. Over 80% of the Marine's budget was financed by the Tenryubito. No wonder the World Government dogs came eagerly running at the smallest of their calls.

Luckily for her, these World Nobles had passed off taking any real responsibility for so long that all current operations were under the control of a small number of 'Honorary Slaves'— slaves who had been under the rule of the Tenryubito for so long they knew nothing but a life of servitude and loyalty. Despite being trusted confidants, however, these Honorary Slaves were still slaves, and with her cover status as 'Saint Shalulia,' she had been able to take over control of the Court's finances without raising any alarms. For the past two years, under Shikamaru's instruction, Hinata had slowly but steadily channeled the entirety of the Tenryubito's massive fortune into a number of underworld brokerage accounts. With full control of the Tenryubito's purse strings at their fingertips, it wouldn't be long before they were the ones dictating the terms.

Careful to keep her face neutral, Hinata played the sympathy card again and forced hatred and bitterness into her voice. "Tell that to my father and brother. Oh wait," she pretended to roll her eyes scathingly, "you can't. Because they're _dead_. It took five minutes for Admiral Kizaru to get here, and only three for the Sabaku bitch to slit their throats."

Before Jalmack could reply, Saint Louis interrupted with a simple, "Then what exactly do you suggest, Saint Shalulia?"

Hinata took a deep breath and steeled herself for the chaos that would no doubt ensue at her next words. This was it— this was the moment she'd been working toward for the better part of two years.

"Father Roswald and brother Charloss were killed by a resentful assassin posing as a slave. It is high time we regain the favor of the people and do away with slavery all together."

* * *

The Going Merry glided shakily through the darkness as thunder roared and lightning flashed overhead. Trembling slightly in the turbulent waters as Nami guided the rudder in the direction of Reverse Mountain, the Merry rose precariously up the currents and then free-dropped through the sky, hurtling toward the waters below at a sickening speed.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it was over.

Cruising idly in the eerily calm waters at the base of the Grand Line, Sakura glanced up at the clear skies above and marveled at how just moments ago, they were stuck in the worst storm she'd ever experienced. One uphill mountain later, it was like they were in an entirely different part of the globe altogether.

She had seen more ridiculous things in her short shinobi career than most people would in their entire lifetime, yet something as simple as Reverse Mountain and obscure Grand Line weather still managed to catch her off-guard. Absentmindedly wondering just what other surprises lay in the journey ahead, Sakura couldn't help the slight smile that tugged at her lips as she casted a small water repelling jutsu to dry off her rain-soaked outfit.

While she was an incredibly strategic person and hated going into anything without a solid plan, a part of her had always longed for her own adventure. Part of her still resented being left behind in Konoha all those years ago, and while she knew that had been exactly the push she had needed to get serious about her shinobi training, she couldn't help but wish she had gotten the chance to leave the village and travel the world like Naruto had done with Jiraiya. As the Godaime's personal apprentice and Konoha's best medic, second only to Tsunade herself, Sakura's talents had always been most needed inside the village. In the year leading up to Konoha's destruction, she could count the number of missions she had undergone outside of the hospital on one hand.

So while the circumstances that led her to this moment were far from desirable, when the Going Merry finally finished its rocky ascent up Reverse Mountain, Sakura couldn't help the small shiver of exhilaration that washed over her as she stared out at the endless expense of water, knowing that this may finally be her chance to have an adventure of her own.

_After we rescue Naruto, of course,_ she reminded herself. If Dragon's information was to be trusted and Naruto _was_ indeed locked in Impel Down.

Speaking of which… she'd been meaning to ask Luffy about Dragon. It didn't take long for her to get over the shock of Luffy's heritage— she supposed in a way, it made perfect sense for her strong-willed captain to be the son of the world's most wanted man. _After all_, she thought wryly, _where else could Luffy have inherited his unwavering spirit and complete disregard for authority?_

As the pink-haired nin made her way to Luffy's customary seat at the head of the Merry, she considered just how she was going to bring up the issue. She had no idea what sort of relationship Luffy had with his father; Dragon was willing to go out of his way to save his son's life, but despite having numerous opportunities not once had he revealed his identity to Luffy. To her, Dragon's paradoxical actions in Loguetown suggested one of two things: either he did not want Luffy to know about his identity as the leader of the Revolutionaries, or he did not want to reveal his relationship with Luffy in front of Smoker and the Marines. From what little she knew of the man, Sakura was leaning more towards the latter explanation; with Dragon as Public Enemy Number One, just being his son would be enough to make Luffy a target for the Marines, irrespective of his status as a pirate. Once more, Sakura was unwittingly reminded of Luffy's similarity to Naruto; not only did the two knuckleheads share similar personalities, they were also both sons of incredible leaders.

If Naruto was anything to judge by, Sakura knew he would prefer to just address the subject head on. Deciding that Luffy wasn't one to beat around the bush either, Sakura tapped the rubber boy on the shoulder and asked, "Whatcha doing, Luffy?"

Luffy jumped at the sudden presence behind him and nearly fell off the ship's figurehead in his surprise. Quickly looping his arms multiple times around the Merry's bow, Luffy breathed a sigh of relief as he regained his balance, and pouted slightly, "You've got to stop sneaking up on people, nee-chan!"

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to." Sakura said. Like any decent shinobi, her footsteps had become impossibly light over the years through sheer force of habit. Digging through her kunai holster, Sakura found the object she was looking for and tossed it to Luffy casually. "Here, a present."

Luffy's eyes lit up at the mention of a present. "Thanks, nee-chan! What is it? Meat? I hope it's meaatttt…" Frowning in disappointment as he discovered the object to be some sort of metal cuff, Luffy suddenly felt totally devoid of strength. "What… is it?" he asked weakly.

Sakura raised a brow. "You don't recognize it? It's what Smoker captured you with back on Loguetown—they're seastone cuffs, which negate the ability of Devil Fruit users."

Luffy dropped the cuffs hastily and instantly felt his strength return. "Phew! Why are you giving them to me, nee-chan? They're horrible!"

"To train, duh. Why else?"

Luffy shook his head vehemently. No way was he getting shackled with those awful cuffs again. "No way! I don't need them. Next time I see Smoky, I'll just run—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Sakura took the chance to close one of the shackles around his left wrist. Once again, Luffy instantly sank against the Merry for support, groaning as the Kairoseki drained his body of energy.

"Noooooo... Take them off, nee-channn…" Luffy whined.

"Hey, the Marines have this stuff in spades." Sakura pointed out, and moved to snap the second cuff around the same wrist. Upon contact, Luffy sagged even more against the floor, but Sakura didn't pay him any mind. Seastone may imitate the effects of the sea, but no amount of seastone could actually _kill_ or even permanently injure a Devil Fruit user. "If you don't develop a tolerance for seastone, how do you expect to become the Pirate King?"

At the mention of his dream, Luffy immediately stopped complaining and a look of determination entered his eyes. Pushing himself to his feet, Luffy straightened, and despite still looking like he was going to be sick, managed to regain some of his former enthusiasm.

"How come you're not affected by this stuff?" he asked curiously, recalling how the pink-haired nin had been able to handle the seastone cuffs without being affected in the least.

Sakura thought for a moment, and then decided there was little harm in telling the truth. "I'm not a Fruit user," she revealed simply.

"What?" Luffy's eyes grew wide. "How do you explain all your weird but insanely awesome techniques then?"

"It's—" Sakura paused, searching for the right word, "—complicated." she finished lamely. "I use a different form of energy for my techniques, but I'm training to increase my supply of this energy by letting the shark-sword drain a third of my reserves every day, same as you." Sensing the onslaught of questions that was about to follow, Sakura quickly switched topics. "Anyway," she said, "enough about me. There's something I wanted to ask you. How well do you know your father?"

A confused expression overtook Luffy's face at the unanticipated turn the conversation had taken. "Why do you want to know?" He asked, looking at her oddly.

"Well… you know the guy that saved us from Smoker in Loguetown?"

Luffy nodded, unsure of where she was going with this.

Sakura took a breath, and dropped the bomb. "That was Dragon."

"He was there?" Luffy was quiet for a while before shrugging indifferently. "I don't really know him. I was raised by my grandfather since I was three."

Sakura observed Luffy's apathetic reaction curiously, but didn't press the issue. It wasn't her place to pry. Deciding to get to the heart of the matter, she switched gears and said seriously, "I need to know whether he can be trusted."

Luffy's brows furrowed. "Why?"

Sakura paused at that. Why indeed. Should she mention that Dragon had approached her about making a possible alliance? That she suspected another one of her friends was spying on Dragon himself? Or that, according to him, one of her best friends was currently being held captive in the world's most heavily guarded maximum-security prison, being experimented on for the sake of mass-producing Kyuubi Pacifistas?

Deciding to go with the most pressing reason, and the one most likely to elicit a truthful answer, Sakura replied solemnly.

"Because he told me one of my nakama is being held prisoner by the World Government, and I need to know whether I can trust his information."

* * *

Although she had expected it, Hinata was still not entirely prepared for the chaos that had ensued after her proposal.

"Do away with slavery?!" Seven pairs of eyes stared incredulously at her in disbelief. "Are you fucking insane?"

"Who the hell are _you_ to tell us what we can and can't do?" Saint Mjosgard leapt to his feet in outrage, though his short stature did little to intimidate anyone.

Saint Cecelia merely looked at her. "...Are you _high_?" she sneered, her contempt clear in her voice.

Hinata raised a hand to silence the protests, and once some semblance of order had been restored she stood calmly and stared each of the Council members in the eye. She had seen her father strong-arm the Hyuuga elders into accepting his ideas for years, and for the first time she was glad for all the lessons Hiashi had drilled into her head on how to be an effective leader.

Doing her best to project authority and power into her words, Hinata began gravely, "I am afraid that we have no choice. If we want to maintain our current positions of power, we _must_ gather support from the public."

"I'm sorry, Saint Shalulia," Saint Louis narrowed his eyes. "I fail to see how this is possible, or even relevant. We have been recognized by all as the supreme rulers of humankind for as long as anyone could remember. Our power is absolute."

"That is precisely where you are mistaken, Saint Louis." Hinata replied without skipping a beat. "Our authority may stem from centuries of tradition, and we may possess the holy blood of this world's creators, but the ugly truth is that our power depends greatly on the Marine's support. And the Marine's support is conditional on a steady stream of generous monthly donations. I trust you'll all agree that the power base of any aristocracy, even holy ones, rests in one of three things: wealth, military might, or public support."

"So?"

"_So_," Hinata paused for dramatic effect, "we have no army of our own. We have no support from the public. Until recently, with the Marines at our beck and call, this wasn't a problem. But,_ we are running out of money._" She lied smoothly. This technically wasn't even a lie; the Tenryubito _was_ running out of money, if only because she was embezzling the funds into her own shadow accounts. But if she played her cards right, the Council would be none the wiser.

Saint Mjosgard scoffed. "That's impossible."

"Is it?" Hinata asked mockingly, "When was the last time you'd taken a look at our finances?"

"I'd never—"

"That's right. _Never._ Because we've long delegated this duty to our slaves, we weren't even aware that our funds had nearly run dry. Tell me something, Saint Mjosgard," she asked derisively, "how much do you think a single slave costs us, on average?"

"What an outrageous question. They're slaves, they're free—"

"Wrong. We may not need to pay them, or even buy them, but we do need to feed them, clothe them, and house them. When you kill them, it costs money to dispose of their bodies. The average lifetime expenses of a single slave come out to be around 100 million beli. How many slaves do you own?"

"I don't know," Mjosgard replied, slightly bewildered. "I don't keep track of such trivial matters—"

"I'll tell you. Between the eight of us here we own approximately 4,000 slaves. That's 400 billion beli right there. Personal slaves aside, let's not forget the general staff that keeps this place running. At any given time in Mariejois, there are approximately 10,000 slaves, which bring our expenses up to a trillion beli. Funding to the Marines costs us two trillion a year, so on average at least three trillion disappears each year." She took a breath, staring hard at the idiots sitting across from her. "Meanwhile, the amount of taxes we collect from the twenty kingdoms barely totals 500 billion. Do the math."

"…This is ridiculous." Saint Mjsogard shook his head in denial. "The solution is simple. We stop giving our money to the Marines. Or we increase the taxes of the people—"

"Do you really think it's that simple? We have abused our power for _centuries_— the people _hate _us. The only reason they don't openly revolt is fear of retaliation from the Marine Admirals. Once we stop funding the Marines, they will cease their protection. What do you think will happen then? You think _divine will_ will be enough to keep us in power? It won't be long before a full-scale revolution springs up, but we probably won't even get to see that happen because the minute the Marines withdraw their support, one of your repressed slaves will turn on you and slit your throat in your sleep, just like what happened to father Roswald and brother Charloss."

The room was silent. As spoilt as the Tenryubito were, they weren't entirely stupid. And with the chaos she and Temari had caused when they'd accidentally ended up as slaves to the Tenryubito two years ago (not to mention the precedent set by Fisher Tiger fifteen years ago), it wasn't exactly hard to imagine the morbid scenario Hinata had painted. With one final push, she'll have them right where she wanted them.

Feigning a look of disdain, Hinata turned toward the Council and pinned them down with a hard stare. "None of us wants this, me least of all, but it has to be done. By abolishing slavery we both gain favor with the people and eliminate a third of our expenses. This will allow us to continue our arrangement with the Marines and keep our current authority, while rebuilding our power base among the people in case we ever do lose the Marine's support. There is no other way."

Crossing her arms, Hinata waited with bated breath. When no one objected after a solid ten minutes, she stood up and declared the meeting adjourned. The Tenryubito filed out silently, looking slightly dazed, as if they still couldn't comprehend what had just happened and bring themselves to accept their obvious loss.

It seemed like Shikamaru was right in telling her to focus on the financials. Rather than trying to win the Tenryubito over with honeyed words of ideology and morality, it was far more effective to focus on the potential loss of material comforts. These entitled snobs, like most neopatrimonial elites, were much more likely to take sides on pragmatic grounds in the struggle over spoils. The loss of their slaves would be felt dearly, but even an idiot could tell it was better than losing everything.

She normally wasn't one to brag, but Hinata had to admit their plan had been pretty ingenious. They'd hit the Tenryubito exactly where it hurt, and it was only the prelude of things to come.

Giving herself a mental pat on the back, Hinata thought back to all the corrupt and amoral acts she had to put up with in her two years masquerading as Saint Shalulia, and thought it was all worth it.

* * *

"Wait," Luffy scratched his head, "why would the World Government want to hold your friend prisoner?"

Sakura paused. "It's… complicated." She repeated weakly. She didn't even know _where_ to begin— for one, she didn't know _for sure_ just why Naruto was being held prisoner, or what he had done to instigate the World Government's ire. For another, she had never encountered a Pacifista in person before, and had no idea whether her crack theory of harnessing Kyuubi chakra like Vegapunk did with lasers was even possible.

"—Is your friend a pirate? Or a mercenary like you?" Luffy was asking, grinning at the thought of potentially gaining another kickass crewmate like his Sakura-nee-chan.

"Something like that," Sakura smiled and decided to have a little fun, just to see Luffy's reaction. Lowering her voice, she beckoned for Luffy to come closer and whispered mysteriously, "He's a _ninja._"

Despite the fact that she had yet to encounter another true shinobi in the two years that she had been stuck in this land, it appeared that there still did exist some stories about ninja here. These people had no knowledge of the Hidden Villages, but perhaps they did know of legends such as the Sage of Six Paths? Watching as the familiar glint of excitement and determination entered the Straw Hat captain's eyes, Sakura wondered just what sort of thoughts and images the term 'ninja' conjured up in the rubber boy's mind.

"That's totally awesome!" Luffy laughed, pumping his fists up in the air enthusiastically. "I've got to get a ninja on my crew, shishishi!"

"You want _everyone_ on your crew, Luffy." Nami cut in dryly, walking past the duo from behind with a martini in hand before moving on to check her maps.

Luffy pouted. "But he's a _ninja_!" he emphasized, as if that explained everything.

"If you say so," Sakura gave a cryptic smile. A meeting between the two knuckleheads would be an interesting one indeed. She could only imagine what sort of craziness those two would cook up together. Deciding to steer the conversation back on track, she said seriously, "But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Back to Dragon—do you think his word can be trusted?"

The rubber boy thought back to what Garp had told him about his father when he was young. He honestly couldn't remember much—Dragon had never really been a part of his life, and all Garp had said was that his father was considered by the World Government to be the most dangerous man alive. Luffy had thought the fact that his father was the leader of the largest resistance to the World Government was pretty cool, but Garp had threatened to beat him to a pulp if he ever dared follow in Dragon's footsteps. Then again… he had said the same if Luffy ever became a pirate. Shuddering slightly as he imagined what his grandfather would do to him if they ever ran into each other in the Grand Line, Luffy told Sakura what little he knew.

"I don't know much about Dragon," he began warily, "but I know he's not a liar. If he says the World Government is holding your friend captive, then they probably are. It certainly wouldn't be the first time they screwed innocent people over."

There was a bitter tone in Luffy's normally bright voice, and Sakura wondered if perhaps their conversation had stirred up some memories best left untouched. Had Luffy been personally wronged by the World Government in the past?

"Okay," she said, deciding to leave the matter alone for now. "Dragon said they're keeping him in Impel Down. I don't know the prison's exact coordinates, just that it's halfway across the world, somewhere in the Calm Belt. This person that they have locked up… he's like family to me. When the time comes where I'll be in a position to infiltrate the prison, that's probably where we'll part ways. This is my fight, and I won't ask you to incur the wrath of the Marine Admirals just for me. But I need to sail through the first half of the Grand Line as fast as possible—I'll do everything I can to help with navigation, healing, and any enemies we might encounter on the way. But time is of the essence and I _cannot_ afford to take any unnecessary detours. Still want me on your ship, Captain?"

"What are you talking about?" Luffy exclaimed innocently. "I would _never_ leave one of my crew behind!"

"Even if it means forgoing some crazy adventure or incurring the wrath of the entire World Government?" At Luffy's enthusiastic nod, Sakura questioned further, "All for someone you've never even met before?"

Luffy tilted his head as if he didn't understand what she was trying to get at. "Well," he answered matter-of-factly, "if he's your nakama, and you're our nakama, then that makes him our nakama as well!"

Sakura was momentarily stunned. "You'd really do that for me?"

Luffy grinned. "Of course! That's what nakama are for!"

"Hey guys," Nami interrupted, holding a scope to her eye excitedly. "I don't know what you two were talking about, but I think we're approaching our first island!"

* * *

**A/N**: I tried to slow down a little and tie up some loose ends before moving on to the Alabasta arc, hope it was still an exciting read!

Quick Recap of Shinobi Whereabouts:

So in the summary I said 11 shinobi escaped to the seas, and in the Prologue I hinted there would be 13 shinobi in OP-verse total at the end. Since I update pretty slowly and my writing kind of jumps from character to character, I'll post quick recaps every 5 or so chapters on who's doing what at the end from now on.   


1. Sakura - w/ Straw Hats, at start of Grand Line

2. Naruto - locked up by Vegapunk and the World Government, presumably in Impel Down

3. Shikamaru - super spy in the Marines, looking for a way to rescue Naruto

4. Temari - last seen w/ Whitebeard Pirates, wanted for killing 2 (really 3) Tenryubito

5. Hinata - posing as one of the dead Tenryubito, draining their funds

6. Shino - unknown, but apparently spying on Dragon

7. Gaara - last seen 3 months ago, making contact w/ Whitebeard Pirates

8. Sasuke - last seen 6 months ago, still in Madara's post-apocalyptic shinobi-verse

I have a good idea on who the remaining 5 will be, but it's not set in stone and I'm always open to new ideas. If you have a character that you would love to see in the fic, let me know. Just give me a good reason on how you can see that character fitting into the plot, and not just "include him/her b/c s/he is my favorite!"

Random Musings:

-Hinata makes her first appearance, yay! Hopefully with this her role in the story is becoming clearer. I'd said all eyes would be on her, didn't I? I like her a lot more now that she has finally showed some backbone in the manga, and decided to give her a pretty big role here. I also thought it was a nice parallel with the Hyuuga clan's practice of branding the Branch family, which is as close to slavery as you get in Naruto (foreshadowing hint!).

-I've never really understood why the Tenryubito have as much power as they do in canon, so I just made up my own explanation. I see their regime as neopatrimonial or clientialistic in nature, since no one this hated can legitimize their rule using the "divine ruler" argument alone. Sure they have Marine support for now, but that begs the question on why the military would remain loyal to them. The only leverage I could think of was money, because despite being "divine rulers" they don't actually do anything or have any power. Realistically, even a neopatrimonialistic regime can't last forever, especially with the level of resentment the Tenryubito have from everyone. It just doesn't happen (points to the wave of African and Latin American countries transitioning from authoritarian regimes to democratic or at least semi-democratic ones in the last couple of decades…) Anyway, I'm probably just be nitpicking here, since I just finished a course in power politics when I wrote this.

-I do think tolerance for Kairoseki could be trained… when Smoker and Luffy were both locked in Crocodile's cell, only Luffy was weakened to the point of barely being able to stand, while the Kairoseki only negated Smoker's powers. Not to mention Ace was drowning in Kairoseki chains in Impel Down but still didn't look as weakened as Luffy did whenever he comes in contact with seastone.

-The nakama talk was cheesy as hell, but whatever.

Not much happened in the way of canon events, but like I said as the Naruto-aspect of the plot develops the Straw Hat's journey will deviate pretty significantly from canon. That first island is not what it seems.

Remember to read and review!


	15. Chapter 11

**A/N**: Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! While I don't really have time to reply to reviews anymore due to school, I do read all of them and it's definitely what keeps me going. You guys rock!

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Chapter 11: Of Dreams and Complications**_

* * *

"_To be the greatest swordsman…"_

"_To become the Pirate King!"_

"_To find All Blue."_

"_To draw a map of the world!"_

"_To… to become a brave warrior of the seas!"_

_All eyes turned to her._

"…_Ne, Sakura-chan, what's your dream?"_

* * *

The Gorosei were a grouchy lot, giving the Marines obnoxious rules, limited budgets, and crappy orders—all the while expecting grandiose results. It was a wonder why the Fleet Admiral even bothered putting up with their demands at all. At least Sengoku knew where it counted, and actually gave a damn about his men. Those five at the top, however, didn't seem to care for anything other than results, all consequences be damned.

Lighting another cigarette, Nara Shikamaru, known to his colleagues at Marineford by his cover identity as Vice Admiral Aran, sighed as he tuned out the incensed ramblings of the old geezer's virtual hologram, and slouched further against the wall. He didn't appreciate taking the heat from the bald, heavily mustached elder, even if he _was_ technically the cause of their hysteria. While being Sengoku's number one protégé usually came with some pretty useful perks, assigning blame with the Gorosei was not one of them.

_That sly bastard, _Shikamaru thought sullenly, recalling Sengoku's _convenient_ emergency errand just as the heated call from the Gorosei came in. It was no secret that the Fleet Admiral hated dealing with the Gorosei in any way, shape, or form, and he had worked with the man long enough to know that he had been considering retirement for a while now. There were rumors around base that Sengoku was planning on passing the Fleet Admiral title to Aokiji as early as next year, and apparently _his_ name was on the short list for taking over the ice-wielding admiral's vacancy when the time came. No doubt this was Sengoku's way of prepping him for his upcoming promotion… Still, being screamed at for what was technically Sengoku's mistake was not his idea of a fun afternoon.

"You incompetent imbecile!" The as-of-yet unnamed elder sneered, his giant mustache flaring rather comically as his face purpled with rage. "How could you _still_ not know who the perpetrator was? Never mind the fact that someone just waltzed in and broke into a top security room with all three admirals on base, you're also telling me they've managed to crack what I was told was an uncrackable code, AND left absolutely no trace behind?!"

"If the admirals were the ones in charge of the restricted archive's security, shouldn't you be yelling at them instead?" Shikamaru grumbled under his breath, before masking his irritation behind a blank face and responding to the elder politician's incredulous questions with a lazy deadpan, "That would appear to be the case, yes."

The elder fumed some more at Shikamaru's nonchalant attitude, but seemed to have calmed down enough to realize that the shadow user wasn't the type to crack under pressure. Red-faced but voice calm, the elder asked sharply, "Just _what_ is being done to smoke out the culprit?"

Shikamaru looked out the window to the sky and resisted the urge to yawn. The sky was abnormally clear today, with no clouds in sight... save for one that bore an uncanny resemblance to the hourglass symbol of Sunagakure. Good, that meant Temari was close. He had been worried for a while there, after having received no response a week ago in their communication scroll. But as long as the Suna nin got the message, he could convey the rest of the plan to her in person.

"Well?" the elder asked impatiently, not liking the absent-minded look on the Vice Admiral's face.

"We are in the process of reviewing the den den mushi footage and accounting for everyone's whereabouts that day," Shikamaru drawled lazily, knowing his alibi was rock solid thanks to his shadow bunshin. Unlike the traditional _Kage Bunshin _technique which earned its name due to its solidness being able to cast a shadow, his family's variation of the clone jutsu simply used shadows as the base material. It had taken some experimentation, but he had noticed that the Marine's video den den mushi can only record _solid _bunshins… meaning the shadow bunshin he had sent to retrieve the _Project Orange_ file while he played shougi with Sengoku would leave absolutely no trace behind. Smirking inwardly, he continued, "But seeing as there are over 2,000 marines here at base, we're not exactly making much headway."

"With such backward methods, I am not surprised. Why haven't we submitted people to the use of hyoscine-pentothal yet?"

Shikamaru was caught off guard by the suggestion, but the elder didn't give him a chance to object.

"Surely you have it at base? Dr. Vegapunk assured us the first wave of production was completed successfully months ago—"

"We have it," Shikamaru snapped sharply. Hyoscine-pentothal was a highly experimental, pain-inducing drug that Vegapunk came up with a few months back for the torture and interrogation of condemned criminals. He didn't understand exactly how it worked, but he knew the drug was some sort of neural inflammatory that _sometimes_ successfully induced the subject to tell the truth, but more often then not caused indescribable pain and lethal side effects. He was sure his shinobi training and mental defenses would make him relatively immune to the drug's effects (especially considering he'd spent years on the same team as a Yamanaka), but he wasn't exactly keen on letting thousands of innocents be tortured for his actions.

"Then I suggest you make good use of it, Vice Admiral," the elder sneered, a cold glint in his eyes.

"Don't you think that's overkill?" the Nara genius tried to reason. "Letting 2,000 of our own be tortured for a single security breach?"

"You…" the elder looked at him shrewdly, an unreadable look on his face. "You have no idea what that file contained. No idea what chaos it would cause if it fell into the wrong hands."

_No, _Shikamaru thought, _you're the one who has no idea. The one you're searching so desperately for is literally right under your nose. _

"Why don't you enlighten me then?" he asked disinterestedly, knowing he was entering dangerous territory and had to thread carefully. There wasn't time for hesitation, however, because the more he hesitated, the more he was going to regret not doing everything in his power to get Naruto back from the government's grasp. "Just what's so important about a convict safely locked up, anyway?"

The elder paused as his words sunk in. "I didn't realize Vice Admirals were given clearance to the file," he finally responded, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I'm not just any Vice Admiral— after all, how many Vice Admirals are entrusted with answering to the Gorosei in place of the Fleet Admiral? Surely the fact that I'm standing here talking to you at all is proof enough of Sengoku's trust in me."

"Very well," the hologram agreed after some consideration. "Sengoku has indeed informed us of his plans to promote you to Admiral Aokiji's seat after he retires. I suppose there's no harm in bringing you up to speed early, especially if this knowledge succeeds in instilling some sense of urgency in you."

Hardly daring to believe his luck, the Nara genius waited with bated breath for the Gorosei elder to elaborate.

"That file… _Project Orange_… holds the key to the Void Century and the Lost Continent."

* * *

"I'm telling you," Nami blinked in confusion, pointing to a spot slightly to their right. "The island was _right there._"

Luffy swiped the scope out of Nami's hands and stretched his neck slightly above its normal length to get a better look at the waters up ahead. "I don't see anything," he said, turning his head from side to side. "There's nothing but water. You sure you weren't drunk and seeing things, Nami?"

Nami's face darkened and she didn't hesitate before yanking Luffy by the ear to retrieve her scope. Ignoring the rubber boy's indignant yelp as his overly-stretched neck retracted with a loud _snap!_, Nami scowled before addressing the rest of the crew.

"I _swear _it was there a minute ago! Really round, really dark, and kind of rugged…"

Before Luffy could open his mouth and say something else to piss their orange haired navigator off, Sakura cut in with a thoughtful frown. "We still don't know anything about how the Grand Line works… maybe it's not entirely outside the realm of possibility for islands to change locations."

"Yeah, but to do it in the blink of an eye?" Nami questioned skeptically, but didn't have an alternative explanation. "I've literally just turned around to alert you guys, and when I turned back it was gone!"

"Which is why I asked if you were drunk and seeing things," Luffy grumbled, rubbing his sore neck gingerly. His entire body ached from the strain of the Kairoseki; he couldn't stretch his cuffed arm at all, and it took at least ten times the effort to even remotely stretch anything else, leaving him in a slightly fouler mood than usual. He had been _so_ excited to finally explore their first island too, only to discover it had apparently disappeared. Sighing dramatically, Luffy turned back to his customary seat on the Merry's head and sat down with a disappointed pout.

"Oh well," Nami shrugged, wandering off to consult her maps again. "Guess we'll see it when we see it."

An hour later, the rest of the crew were all off doing their own thing. Luffy remained seated on the Merry's head, staring unblinkingly at the waters ahead, as if determined not to miss the island again. Zoro was nowhere to be seen, and Sakura figured he was probably off somewhere training or sleeping. Nami relaxed on deck while Sanji attended to her every need, and Usopp busied himself with repairing the minor damage his beloved Merry had sustained in its descent down Reverse Mountain.

Eying the unusually calm waters up ahead, Sakura decided it wouldn't hurt to do some scouting up on the crow's nest. With everything she's heard about the Grand Line being the harshest of all the seas, the current tranquility unsettled her. Besides, running into the infamous Monkey D. Dragon at Loguetown had caught her completely by surprise, and with everything he and Smoker had told her she needed some time to think and process everything.

Channeling chakra into her legs, Sakura easily made her way up the mast and noted with satisfaction that no one questioned her ability to walk on walls (or any other surface) anymore. At some point she'll probably have to explain the concept of chakra to the Straw Hats, but while she trusted they would never _intentionally_ betray her secret, she wasn't so confident in their ability to control the more subtle cues like body language. Someone like Ibiki could probably easily trick the truth out of any one of them, and with the World Government's $500 million bounty on her head she needed every advantage she has got. Knowing Luffy, he probably won't even realize he'd revealed anything at all until it was too late. Discretion and the Straw Hat captain didn't exactly mix.

Soundlessly dropping into the crow's nest, the Konoha nin was not surprised to find Zoro with his eyes closed, resting against the back of the mast with his hands behind his head. At her arrival, the swordsman cracked an eye open and greeted her with a simple nod, before closing his eyes again and seemingly ignoring her.

Contrary to Luffy's naïve open nature, his first mate was not one to trust people easily. Sakura could still remember how Zoro had first reacted to her joining the crew; he had outright told her he didn't trust her, despite her having saved him from Mihawk's killing blow only days before. It was a stark contrast to how _relaxed_ Zoro seemed to be in her presence now, but a welcome change nonetheless.

Looking out at the calm waters below and seeing no trace of Nami's suspiciously transient island, Sakura leaned against the wooden rails and pulled out Nico Robin's personnel file. The girl was really quite fascinating; the only known survivor of the Ohara Buster Call, wanted for the destruction of six marine ships… Judging by the report, the world government was convinced that she was out to destroy the world, seeking to find the Ancient Weapons described in the poneglyphs of legend. But Sakura wasn't Kakashi's most perceptive student for nothing; _look underneath the underneath_, her late sensei used to tell them. Shinobi were trained from a very young age to take in everything, to remember everything, to consider all possibilities. And right now… she could read between the lines well enough to know there were tons of holes in the government's story.

Knowing that there was more behind the Oharan cover up didn't exactly help her pin down the woman's location, however. The Marines had apparently come close to catching Nico Robin when she was still a child, but lately the trail had gone cold. No one had caught sight of her in almost four years… and while Sakura longed for answers regarding her screwed up timeline, she couldn't afford to waste time on another wild goose chase. How many promising leads back to the Elemental Nations had turned bust now? Finding out the connection between her time and the Void Century would simply have to wait, at least until she touched base with the others and got Naruto back.

"Something on your mind?" Zoro asked, eying the file in her hands curiously. "What's that?"

The Leaf nin held up Nico Robin's wanted poster. "Recognize her?"

Zoro squinted and thought for a moment. "No. Should I?"

Sakura shrugged. "Not really. I just thought you may be familiar with her story from your bounty hunter days, since she's a high risk target worth $79 million beli."

The swordsman raised a brow in surprise. "$79 million? Not bad for a kid."

"This is an old picture; she should be around 28 now." Sakura tossed the file back in her pack, and stretched, feeling her joints pop into place with a satisfying crack.

"So… why the interest?"

"No good reason really, just a crack theory based on something Smoker said to me back in Loguetown."

"You know," Zoro gave her a slightly exasperated look. "It wouldn't kill you to give us a straight answer for once. "

"Wouldn't it?" Sakura laughed dryly, a hard glint in her eyes. "Where I'm from, discretion and secrecy is everything. When you're in enemy territory the slightest slip-up could blow your cover and cost you your life. In battle knowledge of your opponent's techniques could mean the difference between life and death. As far as people are concerned here, _my kind doesn't exist_. My village doesn't exist. _I_ don't exist. With such a high prize on my head, surprise is the best weapon in my arsenal."

"Perhaps," the swordsman agreed, yet pointed out matter-of-factly, "but we are not your enemies." Getting up so that he now stood level with her, Zoro continued, "Your secrets are a double-edged sword. How can we trust you—_really _trust you—if you're always keeping us in the dark?"

To be fair, the first mate did bring up a good point. She had told them absolutely nothing about her past, about her powers, or even about why she wanted to sail the Grand Line. While she had given the Straw Hats no reason to doubt her trustworthiness, she hadn't exactly done much to ease their suspicions either. With all the mystery surrounding her origins and her shinobi skills, not to mention her ridiculously high bounty and her past dealings with Smoker, even she wouldn't have trusted her had she been in their position. It was really only because of Luffy's innocent nature that the crew accepted her at all, so perhaps it was about time she returned some of that trust.

"Fine," she finally relented. "Three questions— no bullshit answers. What do you want to know?"

"Nico Robin," Zoro fired off right away, "why are you _really _looking into her?"

Sakura grinned wryly. "Sure you want to know? I told you it was a crack theory."

Zoro sighed. "Just spit it out, woman."

"So… you know how there's this century-long gap in recorded history, around 800-900 years ago?" At the swordsman's nod, Sakura continued, "Well, I have reason to believe I'm from that time period, and Nico Robin is apparently the only person alive who can find out the truth about what went on in the Void Century."

"…I thought you said no bullshit answers."

Sakura scowled. "Don't look at me like that, I'm not crazy." _Besides,_ she thought, _shinobi have toyed with time travel jutsus for centuries, much like they had with immortality jutsus and resurrection jutsus. Granted, most were concerned with the idea of going _back_ in time, not forward, and no one has been known to succeed yet, but surely it wasn't _entirely_ outside the realm of possibility?_

Zoro looked at her appraisingly, about to make some sarcastic comment, only to realize she may have been telling the truth. "Wait," he interrupted, a slightly incredulous look on his face, "you're being serious? You actually think you were born over 800 years ago, and somehow travelled forward in time?"

"See, this is why I never wanted to say anything in the first place," Sakura crossed her arms defensively, "I told you it was a crack theory, didn't I?"

"Just…" The swordsman seemed to be at a slight loss for words. "What makes you think you're from another _time_?"

"Honestly?" Sakura raked a hand through her hair in frustration. "Everything."

Zoro shot her an annoyed look again at the vague answer. "Such as…?" he pressed.

"Let's see…" the pink-haired nin rubbed her temples tiredly and recounted, "One, no one in this land has heard of my village or country, and no one back home has heard of the Grand Line or the Twenty Kingdoms. Two, a completely different sociopolitical structure exists here, we have completely different historical records, and the technology here is far more advanced than anything we have back home. Three, the power I fight with… well, it's pretty universal, common even, back in my world, yet no one here knows of its existence." Pausing slightly to allow the information to sink in, Sakura continued thoughtfully, "What the two lands _do_ appear to have in common, however, are certain objects. My twin tantos… not only is it known here by the same name, but Hawkeyes has even confirmed it was forged by the same swordsmith. Yet while your history books recorded its creation over 800 years ago, my blade was only forged five years ago. Similarly, Samehada, the sword that I've recovered from Arlong, was originally from a rival village back home. Arlong claimed it had been in his possession for at least fifty years, in addition to however many years it had spent in the waters of the Grand Line before it was found, yet I know for a fact that it was wielded by its original master up until two years ago. This, combined with the fact that no one seems to be able to find _anything_ on my village's location or existence, has me convinced that someone is determined to hide _something_."

"So you think the reason study into the Void Century is restricted is because of some huge coverup that has to do with wherever you came from? That's…" Zoro quirked a brow at her and finished casually, "…seriously messed up."

"Don't I know it," the Leaf nin muttered. "Two more questions, first mate."

"The technique you cut Mihawk with, at the beginning of the fight… what was it?"

"That? Condensed chakra. The only reason I managed to hit him at all was because he misjudged the strength of my blade."

"This… _chakra_ thing you keep mentioning—what is it exactly?"

Sakura bit her lip. To tell or not to tell? While it was imperative that she keeps the true extent of her powers secret, perhaps it wouldn't be that big of a deal to inform the Straw Hats of the theory behind basics like chakra. It wasn't like anyone could actually attempt to replicate their techniques should the knowledge fall into the wrong hands—after all, the chakra pathways of the everyone she'd encountered thus far in this land had been severely atrophied, almost non-existent.

Deciding to humor the swordsman a little longer, she thought back to her Academy lectures all those years ago and recited duly, "Chakra is a mixture of the physical energy present in the body and the spiritual energy of the mind. Once mixed, it can be channeled through the chakra circulatory system to any of the 361 chakra points, called tenketsu, in the body. Through the use of hand seals, the chakra can then be manipulated to perform jutsus. Chakra's usually not visible to the regular human eye, but in some cases it can manifest itself in a physical form. It makes up our very life force, so chakra depletion could actually kill you."

"So everything you've been able to do so far… it's all due to this _chakra_?"

"Yes."

"And anyone can learn it?"

"Not exactly," Sakura paused, about to launch into another in-depth explanation on the whys, but thought better of it. "The short answer is you need to train from a very young age to develop your chakra pathways and build up your capacity. From what I've seen so far, no one in this land possesses the necessary biology to use chakra."

"Hmm." The swordman took a minute to digest the information, then remarked dryly, "Luffy will be sad he can't learn to walk on water or walls."

Sakura sweatdropped slightly. In the face of her big secret, _this_ was his reaction? "He'll get over it. Last question, Zoro."

The swordsman opened his mouth, about to ask after the next thing that popped into his head, then paused. This may be his last chance to get a straight answer from the pink-haired woman in who knows how long, he realized, and there was something he was genuinely curious about.

"Right after we left Loguetown…" he waited with interest for her reaction, "…you never did say what your dream is."

The look on Sakura's face suggested the question had caught her off-guard, but she recovered quickly. "You know," she began wryly, a touch of bitter irony in her voice, "if you'd asked me that when I was 12, I would have told you I was going to get a certain boy to fall madly in love with me. My entire world revolved around him—I cared only about getting his attention, getting him to notice me. Six months later, after my team had nearly died in an exam gone wrong and there was nothing I could do to help, I would have told you my dream was to stop being so fucking weak and useless. Not long after, that boy I was in love with… he deflected and betrayed our village. My other teammate nearly died trying to bring him back. He left the village too, on a three-year training mission. I was left behind, again, and there was nothing more I wanted at the time than to stand on equal ground with the both of them, and bring back our missing teammate."

"So that's why you wanted to sail the Grand Line?" Zoro pressed, "to find your missing teammate?"

Sakura gave a humorless laugh. "Not quite… a lot has gone on in the seven years since he defected. I fought a war. I watched friends and family get killed right in front of my eyes. I had my share of playing God and saved countless people from the brink of death, yet for every person I saved there were ten more that I couldn't. I still want to find him, of course…. but my world stopped revolving around Uchiha Sasuke a long time ago."

A faraway look had entered the Leaf nin's eyes, and Zoro took note of the name she had accidentally let slip in her reminiscing. _Uchiha Sasuke… _he'll have to keep an ear out for that one.

"So why _did_ you want to sail the Grand Line?" he asked, "We all have dreams we're trying to achieve, goals we're working toward… what's yours?"

_Good question,_ the pink-haired nin thought broodingly to herself. Did she even _have_ a dream anymore? The last few years had been a non-stop flurry of problems to be solved, battles to be fought—she had focused for so long on just _surviving_ one day at a time, she had forgotten what it was like to truly _live—_and dream. The swordsman had asked her why she wanted to sail the Grand Line; the short answer was simple—she was desperate for any _shred_ of information on Konoha's location, and the Grand Line looked like her best bet at the time. With the recent rumor on Naruto's whereabouts, her next steps were even clearer—get her favorite blonde knucklehead out, and find a way back home together.

…but what about after? What if there really was no way back, and the Konoha that they knew had long been wiped from existence? What _then_?

Forcing herself not to dwell on the gloomy possibility, Sakura shrugged and said, "To find my friends and our home village. For two years I chased ghosts in the East Blue and came up empty. The Grand Line… it's my last hope."

Before Zoro could respond, an enormous shock threw them both off-balance as the _Going Merry_ collided with some unidentified colossal object beneath the water, and the medic nin sucked in a sharp breath of surprise as the ship started to _rise_ in the air. Confused yells and panicked shouts littered the deck below as Nami and Usopp tried in vain to regain control of the ship, but from her raised position in the crows nest she could see clearly what the crew below couldn't.

Nami's so-called island… was a _fucking whale. _And the _Merry_… was currently stuck in the air, on top of its head.

A cursory glance revealed countless scars littered around the whale's forehead, both healed and fresh. Speaking of fresh wounds… was that two harpoons sticking out beneath its right eye? From her position on the crow's nest, Sakura could see two peculiarly dressed persons dangling in midair by their hold on the harpoons, perhaps whale-hunters of some sort. The distance and angle hid their faces from view, and the only distinguishing feature Sakura could make out was long flowing blue hair on the woman.

"Hey! What's going on?" Luffy jumped up from his seated position on the bow, and sent one of his signature _Gomu Gomu no Pistols_ to the whale's massive body. "Let us down!"

With Kairoseki cuffs on one hand, the Straw Hat captain couldn't be at more than 20% of his usual strength… so either Luffy was way stronger than she gave him credit for, or the whale was infinitely more injured than its surface wounds would suggest. Either way, the whale flopped over from the force of Luffy's punch with a pained wail, sending the _Going Merry_ tumbling back down to the turbulent waters. The two whale hunters seemed to take advantage of the chaos to drive their harpoons deeper into their prey, and the whale started to trash in earnest, determined to throw the two off.

And just when she thought things couldn't get any stranger, her attuned senses picked up the faintest trace of residual chakra from the one of the whale's freshly healed wounds. It was distinctive, incredibly volatile, and… somewhat familiar, though she couldn't quite place just where exactly she'd felt it before.

"Hey," Zoro brought her attention back to the waters below, a worried edge to his voice for the first time, "are those what I think they are?"

Following the swordsman's line of sight to the surrounding waters, Sakura's eye widened in alarm as she finally caught sight of the floating white egg-shaped spheres buried deep beneath the sea's surface, expertly interlaced in a complex web to ensure accidentally setting off one would cause the whole thing to blow.

_Naval mines,_ she realized with a jolt. _Hundreds of them._

And the whale was treading dangerously close to the deathtrap, dragging them along in the currents with it.

_And not just any old plain explosives, _Sakura was surprised to discover._ Clay bombs, of a particularly familiar—and unwelcome—variety._

She had sensed the sudden spike of chakra before she had seen the clay fish that suddenly "hatched" from one of the white bombs, and barely managed to shout out a quick warning before the fish collided with the whale and the bomb detonated with a deafening bang. The shockwave from the resulting chain of explosions resonated through the entire ship, and while the whale took the brunt of the injury, the _Merry _still sustained considerable damage.

"Damn it," the medic nin swore under her breath, absentmindedly sending healing chakra to some of the more severe burns she'd received in the explosion. "Everyone okay?"

"We'll live," Sanji grunted, kicking some of the debris out of his way as he emerged from the lower deck. "Where's Nami-san?"

"Here. I'm fine," said navigator coughed, waving the smoke aside with her hand. Her hair was slightly singed, but she otherwise appeared unharmed. "What the hell was that?"

"Seems like the whale triggered the mines buried in the water," Zoro explained, joining the rest of the group on the main deck. "Might be someone's sick idea of a joke, probably whichever crew came through here last."

"Or maybe a test of sorts?" Nami offered, "To restrict entrance to the Grand Line and weed out the weak."

While Sakura knew little of the mines' purpose and could only speculate with the rest, the manner of the bombs' detonation had sparked her memory on just where she'd felt such explosive chakra before. She had only felt it twice, once when she was fifteen and once during the Konoha civil war, but there was no mistaking the signature now that she'd experienced it up close.

While it was still unclear why the blonde arsonist chose to leave behind enough C4 in the entrance of the Grand Line to reduce Reverse Mountain to ashes, Sakura knew one thing for certain.

Whatever theories she may have had before regarding the World Government's involvement in the coverup of the Elemental Nations' whereabouts, not to mention Naruto's capture, it was time to reevaluate.

The Akatsuki's involvement had just made things infinitely more complicated.

* * *

**A/N**: Another transition chapter, but the good thing is I've tied up most of the loose ends I wanted to, and the next couple of chapters should be faster paced again as I can finally start setting the plot pieces into motion.

Random Musings:

-I seem to keep wanting to kill off OP characters... it wasn't planned, I swear! I guess I haven't really definitively killed off Laboon yet... we'll see.

-Who saw the Akatsuki thing coming? They were part of the plan from day 1, but since a number of you suggested including the Akatsuki in last time's reviews I decided to introduce them a little bit earlier than planned. The ones that died prior to the 4th Shinobi War arc in canon are still dead (Deidara included), but that doesn't necessarily mean they won't play a part in the story. Kudos to those of you that caught the allusion to Pein and Konan back in chapter 9 (if you don't know what I'm talking about, go back and reread!). FYI- they're not included in the 13 shinobi count. Regarding the shinobi suggestions I asked for last time- rest assured that I've taken all of them into consideration.

-I don't know why the Straw Hat scene kept expanding and expanding… but I'm glad I finally got this conversation out of the way. I wanted to expand more on Shikamaru's side, but it looks like that'll have to wait until next chapter.

-There's like a ton of 'travel back in time to fix stuff' Naruto fics, but is there any that deal with the characters travelling _forward_ in time? Not talking about 'immortal God!Naruto outliving everyone hundreds of years into the future' fics either, but ones that are more sci-fi based. I have a pretty solid idea on how to get the Naruto crew 300 years forward for this fic, but I'm curious to see what others have come up with. So if you have any recommendations, send them my way!

Until next time! Remember to read and review!


	16. Chapter 12

**A/N**: I power-finished like half of this in one day! I resolved to update at least once a month after my 2 year hiatus, and so despite the mountains of research reports I have to finish, I've decided to work on this instead. See how much I love you guys?

P.S. I actually have a legit excuse for the long wait this time. I finally caught up on the Naruto manga! :D Still have ~50 chapters to go in One Piece though.

* * *

_**-Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire-**_

_**Chapter 12: Look Underneath**_

* * *

In the shinobi lands where secrecy and discretion reigned supreme, clandestine operations and cover-ups had long been accepted as unavoidable parts of everyday life. No nation was free from this harsh reality, and the militaristic hidden villages even less so. Every leadership—in every village, even one that valued peace as highly as Konoha—had buried its fair share of skeletons, and the six months he had spent working with his dad as one of the Godaime's chief advisors had effectively opened Shikamaru's eyes to the dark side of his village's rosy philosophy. Perhaps the single best example had been finding out the truth behind the Uchiha massacre—yet even that atrocity paled in comparison to the secret he had just been let in on.

"_The Void Century and Lost Continent?" the shadow user had echoed, unsure of just what the elder was trying to imply. What could Naruto possibly have to do with places of lore and events that had transpired hundreds of years ago?_

"_Have you ever wondered," the Gorosei veteran asked instead, a shrewd look in his eyes, "why study into the Void Century is forbidden? Punishable by death, even?"_

_He had never really given much thought to the issue, having had much bigger problems to worry about, but now that the geezer had brought it up, he _was_ curious. "What exactly are you trying to get at?" he asked warily, knowing what was coming next was going to be far from pleasant._

"_The Void Century exists because of a single incident that occurred 876 years ago, and the Twenty Kingdoms prosper today because of it. It is of utmost importance that the events which transpired in those years never came to light."_

_The shadow user resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the geezer's overdramatic flair, but kept quiet and waited for him to continue._

"_What I am about to reveal to you can never be repeated outside this room." The Gorosei member shot a stern look at the genius Vice Admiral. "There are currently less than 10 people in the entire Grand Line that know the True History. Not even the current generation of World Nobles have been enlightened to this secret."_

_Wondering just what earth-shattering secret could the geezer possibly come up with, Shikamaru straightened and pretended to give the old military guru his full attention. _

_Seeing a serious look cross the young boy wonder's perpetually bored face, the Gorosei elder paused for dramatic effect, then, with only the barest hint of hesitation in his eyes, decided to impart the secret at last._

"_Eight hundred seventy six years ago, the Council of Kings was faced with a tremendously difficult decision. They were forced to make a deal with the devil, so to speak. In exchange for their silence and neutrality, their kingdoms would be spared from enslavement."_

"_Not that I don't appreciate the history lesson," Shikamaru began, slightly annoyed that he still had no idea what the geezer was inferring to, "but you're going to have to be a bit more specific than that."_

"_You know of the legend of the Lost Continent?" At the pineapple-head boy's blank look, the elder sighed and started at the beginning. "It's more than just a legend. Centuries ago, there was rumored to exist an entire continent hidden deep within the Grand Line. The people there were rumored to be great warriors, in possession of unfathomable powers, independent of any devil's fruit. _

_No one has ever been able to pinpoint this continent's exact location. Some speculated that perhaps it was protected by some sort of barrier. An illusion, maybe. No one thought of it as anything more than myth—until one day, one of _them_ passed into our lands._

_According to the sacred testaments, the power he wielded was ungodly. Supposedly he was able to command time and space itself and subdue the entire Gorosei with a single glance. He offered our ancestors a simple proposal; you see, he wanted to create a new ideal reality for his world, one of perpetual peace, forever immortalized in time. He cared nothing for the lands beyond his nations, and in exchange for our silence and our promise to stay out of his plans, he would spare the Twenty Kingdoms from his new reality."_

_Shikamaru felt a chill run down his spine. This… legend… was beginning to sound eerily familiar. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he asked warily, "And what, exactly, was so horrific about wanting to create an ideal world?"_

_The answer he got was exactly as he'd feared. _

"_The ideal world that man sought," the elder spoke gravely, "was nothing more than a farce. His new reality aimed to end conflict by purging free will itself from the world."_

_Head reeling from the implications of this "legend," Shikamaru closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. This man that the elder spoke of… there was little doubt in his mind that it was Uchiha Madara. While the geezer mentioned nothing of the Sharingan or the Juubi, there was no denying that the plan sounded an awful lot like the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Besides, how many psychopaths dreamed to create an idealistic utopia by purging free will from the world?_

"_Let me guess… the Council of Kings took his offer?"_

_The elder nodded. "Upon deliberation, the Council reached an unanimous decision that it wasn't worth risking the free will of everyone in the Twenty Kingdoms over the fate of a civilization that we know nothing about. The predecessors to the Gorosei ordered the burning of all research related to the location of the Lost Continent, and forbade anyone from documenting the World Government's involvement in the enslavement of multiple nations. To divert attention away from the deal, historians were forbidden to keep any records, no matter how mundane, for 100 years."_

"_And _that_," he finished coldly, "is why the hundred years thereafter is now known as the Void Century."_

* * *

Luffy couldn't decide whether he wanted to feel sorry for the whale or beat some sense into it after witnessing its pathetic display of misery following the string of explosions it had triggered.

Laboon let out yet another pained wail, and the weird flower man who had emerged from the whale's stomach and introduced himself as Crocus grimaced. It was useless. No amount of treatment would be enough—not when the patient itself no longer had a will to live.

The damage caused to his beloved _Going Merry_ aside, the Straw Hat captain was _pissed_ that something that used to be so resilient and determined had allowed itself to descend so far into its depression that it had lost all faith in its friends.

When Crocus had first told the Straw Hats of the history behind Laboon and the Rumbar Pirates, Luffy had admired the whale's spirit. Despite constantly being told that his friends had all died and left him behind, Laboon had never lost faith. Driven by his desire to see his friends again, Laboon had been determined to do the impossible and break down the Red Line. Luffy didn't exactly see the logic in continuously ramming your head against a cliff rather than simply swimming up the Grand Line, but he could respect the whale's will and ambition.

That, however, was the Laboon of two months ago. The current Laboon was a very different creature, a mere shell of its former self.

Perhaps what pissed Luffy off even more than the whale's pathetic lack of will was how it had been reduced to this sorry state in the first place.

"Can you describe the two who'd passed by here?" Sakura asked, lips pulled in a grim line, already having a pretty good idea of the answer. Placing a hand on Laboon's forehead, she sent forth a large burst of chakra, effectively dispelling the genjutsu that had haunted the whale for the better part of two months.

Sighing heavily, Crocus wiped the sweat off his brow and started working on Laboon's heavily injured fin. "I've never see them before, not even on any wanted posters. They were both wearing dark cloaks, both in their early twenties. The chick was blonde and could create explosives from some weird… _thing_ on her hands. The other had short red hair and could control people like they were puppets. Their eyes, though…"

Nami raised a brow at the Grand Line veteran's unsure expression. What could possibly unsettle someone who'd sailed the Grand Line and survived? "What about them?" she asked curiously.

Recalling the terrorist duos' eerie appearance, Crocus suppressed a shiver. "They were unnatural. Black sclerae with dark grey irides. I've never seen anything like it."

"So they _were_ reincarnated with _Edo Tensei. _Again_._" the Leaf-nin muttered lowly to herself. Figures that even in death, the Akatsuki duo still managed to cause chaos everywhere they go. But what business did they have in Reverse Mountain? What could they possibly gain from tormenting a _whale_ of all things?

Bending down to help Crocus dress Laboon's wounds, Sakura furrowed her brows and voiced her question. "What did they want? Did they let slip any hints on what were they looking for?"

The aged doctor shook his head. "No clue. Those pyromaniacs just passed by one day on a giant-ass bird, and blondie said something about how Laboon's bellowing and hitting his head on the wall was annoying. The two then got into some sort of argument about art, and the next thing I knew they were blowing Laboon sky high."

"That's it?" Luffy echoed incredulously. "Laboon didn't even do anything to them. Those bastards!"

"That can't be the whole story," Sakura frowned. Sure, both Akatsuki members were absolutely maniacal about their "art," and it wasn't too far of a stretch to imagine the rash and reckless Deidara impulsively blowing Laboon up, but the two had to have been brought back for a reason. Whoever was pulling the strings behind the operation had sent them to Reverse Mountain with a purpose, and what happened to Laboon was simply an unfortunate coincidence.

"You should just put it out of its misery!" the blue-haired whale hunter scowled from her tied-up position on the _Merry_'s deck. "The whale's half-dead anyway."

Her pompously dressed partner nodded vehemently in agreement, causing his crown to fall askew on his red hair. "The meat on that whale could feed our entire town for two to three years. If we don't complete our mission and bring back the whale, hundreds of people would starve!"

"Where's your town?" Zoro asked, not impressed with the two's last-ditch effort at sympathy. "Even if we let you kill the whale, what happens after the meat runs out in three years?"

"Crocus-san," Sakura interrupted, gesturing to the two bounty hunters Luffy had subdued earlier. "When exactly did these two start to come after Laboon?"

"Now that you mention it…." Crocus rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "they showed up right around the same time as the pyromaniac duo!"

"Ha!" Usopp cried, pointing an accusing finger at their tied up prisoners. "So you two _were_ working together with the duo who bombed Laboon! How are you going to repay us for the damage the _Merry _sustained in the explosion?"

"Hey, we've got nothing to do with the bombs left behind!" the one who'd introduced herself as Ms. Wednesday protested indignantly. "Our own ship was blown to pieces when we'd first stumbled into the trap of sea mines!"

"Oh yeah?" Zoro challenged, still unimpressed. "How do we know if you're telling the truth?"

"No, really!" Mr. Nine repeated. "The two just stopped by in our town one night, and left the next morning without doing anything! It was pure coincidence that they happened to pass through where our next mission was!"

"So you _do _admit that they've stopped by in your hometown? There's obviously some connection," Nami pointed out wryly. The two were digging their graves deeper and deeper with every sentence.

"No connections! I swear—"

"Mr. Nine and Ms. Wednesday…." The pink-haired medic finished helping Crocus stitch up the larger holes in Laboon's side, and turned her full attention to the pair tied up on the mast. "Those are code names, aren't they? Just _who_ are you working for?"

At the two's silence, Sakura casually released a bit of her killing intent, and removed her hands from where she'd been leaning them against Laboon's body. As she drew her hand away, a mass of liquid withdrew from Laboon's body and into her hands. Holding the ball of water in front of her for everyone to see, Sakura indicated to the swirling mass of black within the clear liquid.

"It's been bothering me for a while now," Sakura started, "how a creature as large as Laboon could be critically injured by mere surface wounds. While these bombs would have no trouble blowing a building to smithereens, something of Laboon's size should have been able to withstand them."

"True…" Sanji mused, recalling how the whale had barely flinched after being hit point-blank with one of their canons.

"What does that have to do with whatever you're holding in your hand?" Mr. Nine bit out, feeling uneasy as he watched the mass of black swirl in its watery cage.

"This," Sakura explained, "is a variation of a common poison aimed at breaking down a person's mental defenses. It magnifies both the potency and duration of offensive illusions, and is the reason why something as simple as a D-ranked genjutsu was able to plague Laboon for months. Simply put, the technique used on Laboon forced him to see and relive his greatest fear, and constantly focus on his negative emotions. Based on what Crocus-san has told us, the illusion probably made Laboon focus on his fears of abandonment, and repeatedly showed him images of his friends' deaths."

A look of understanding crossed the old man's face. So that's why Laboon was so much more depressed after the duo passed through. How terrible…

"Now," Sakura continued, her voice intentionally detached and clinical, "I'm quite curious to see just how potent this variation is, and I have no qualms with testing on human subjects, so unless you two start talking…" she trailed off meaningfully.

Ms. Wednesday swallowed thickly. She had no idea who this woman was, but they were outnumbered, tied up, and she couldn't really see any easy ways out. For the time being, it seemed her only option was to play along.

With an overly dramatic sigh, she subtly nudged her partner to follow her lead. "What do you want to know?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed at the display.

"Let's start… with your real identity."

* * *

Inside a particular Vice Admiral's quarters in the West Wing of Marineford, a former Suna Jonin paced restlessly. Her lazy-ass boyfriend was late, and she hated to be kept waiting.

"Shikamaru better have a damn good reason," Temari grounded out in annoyance, glancing at her watch once again. _1.50pm._ The lazy genius was almost an hour late and counting, and her patience was beginning to run thin.

"Ano… I'm sure he's fine." Hinata offered with a reassuring smile. Despite the blonde Suna nin's outward aggravation, she could see the underlying worry.

Two years ago, when she'd been separated from her teammates and woke up alone on a slave ship with no one but Temari for company, Hinata had been absolutely terrified. She knew Temari was an extremely skilled and capable kunochi, but all she could recall of the Suna nin was her cruel, dismissive behavior during her first Chunin exam. Alone in enemy territory, with her chakra practically non-existent, she would have given anything to have one of her teammates or Naruto-kun beside her instead.

Five months later, when the two had been unwittingly sold to the dreadful Tenryubito and Hinata had accidentally lashed out in a fit of rage after one of the World Nobles had tried to put his grubby hands on her, Temari had been the one to find her panicking beside the dead body. With only a sigh at their blown covers, the Suna nin had calmly taken control of the situation, and ordered Hinata to henge into the dead noble's sister while she made quick work of the witnesses. She had protested at first, but then Temari had explained the advantages of having an insider in such a position of power, and argued that as the stronger and more experience kunochi she stood a much better chance at evading capture.

And so, Temari had taken the fall for all three dead Tenryubito, and Hinata had become Saint Shalulia.

Eying the tension in the other shinobi's figure, Hinata conversed casually, hoping to take the other nin's mind off their missing comrade. "How's the crew lately, Temari-san?"

Temari rolled her eyes. "Still as rowdy as always," she answered, but the expression on her face was one of fondness. "The second division finally has a captain."

"Oh? Who's—" The Hyuuga paused mid-question, sensing a familiar approaching signature with a not-so-familiar energy. Slinking into the shadows and motioning for Temari to do the same, Hinata activated her dojutsu and breathed a sigh of relief as she recognized Shikamaru's silhouette and chakra signature.

"Shikamaru looks to be fine," she muttered, barely low enough for Temari's trained ears. "He's about 10 minutes away. There's someone with him—" Frowning slightly as she recognized the shadow user's companion, Hinata focused on reading their lips. "It's the Fleet Admiral… he's saying something about… the Shichibukai and Alabasta?"

"That's really early in the Grand Line," Temari mused, recalling some of the stories she'd heard from the Whitebeard pirates. "Alabasta's a desert country, one of the Twenty Kingdoms…. Wonder what that has to do with the Shichibukai?"

"Guess we'll find out," Hinata watched as Shikamaru and the Fleet Admiral shook hands, then parted ways. "Shikamaru's coming."

As if on cue, the shadow user stepped into his room, and the door had barely slammed shut before Temari rounded on him.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" her voice was harsh, but there was no real rage in her eyes. "We thought your cover may have been blown or something."

Shikamaru shot Temari an apologetic look for making her worry, then shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed, "We have a lot to discuss."

Seeing as Temari still looked in half a mind to lecture the genius, Hinata quickly interjected. "I'll start. The plan to get the Celestial Council to abolish slavery was a success. Just as we predicted, the Tenryubito have no idea what their finances should look like, and as such harbored no suspicions when I told them their funds had ran dry."

"Good, that's one less thing to worry about," Shikamaru lit a cigarette, and silently turned to Temari.

The wind user frowned disapprovingly at her boyfriend's disgusting behavior, but said nothing, knowing that it was a form of stress relief for him. "The marines are still looking for me, but no one dares to venture abroad Whitebeard's ship, as usual. I did hear an interesting rumor, but didn't get a chance to confirm it before I came here."

"Yes?"

Temari hesitated, then said, "It's Gaara. Some of Whitebeard's crew told me someone matching his description claiming to be him showed up on the Moby Dick with Marco, Ace, and Thatch three months ago, looking for me."

Hinata gasped. "That's… not possible... Is it?" She asked hesitantly, turning to Shikamaru.

_Theoretically not, _the shadow user thought, but with everything else he'd just learned, who's to say Gaara hasn't found some way to break free from Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi? Directing his question at Temari, he frowned, "You weren't able to make contact with him at all?"

Temari shook her head. "He was already gone by the time I got back. Apparently he got tired of waiting for me to show up on the main ship and decided to try his luck with the second division. When I finally tracked down the second division a month ago, he was already gone. The only intel I could get off the first mate was that he went with the captain to track down a former crew member, but no one has any idea on the two's current whereabouts."

"Are we even sure that it's Gaara we're dealing with here?" Hinata asked doubtfully. "What if it's another shinobi impersonating him? The Whitebeard pirates wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

"This… second division captain he's supposedly travelling with..." Shikamaru mused, a plan already forming. "What do you know of him?"

"Portgas D. Ace? He's a decent guy, if a bit reckless. Not a bad fighter, either. Youngest captain in Whitebeard's fleet. Think he might have been scouted by the marines to become a Shichibukai before he joined Whitebeard's crew."

"So he could probably hold his own against Gaara, if Gaara does turn out to be an enemy fake?"

From what she'd seen of the second division captain, Temari had little doubt that he could probably hold his own against the real Gaara, never mind a fake. For a while, at least.

Seeing Temari's affirmative nod, Shikamaru was quiet for a while as he thought of the best possible way to deal with the situation. Gaara showing up was a curveball he hadn't foreseen, but regardless of whether the intel was fake or real, perhaps he could use it to his advantage.

"Alright." For once, his voice had lost its lazy drawl and was authoritative. "Here's what we're going to do. Temari, I need you to take over my place in the Shichibukai."

Temari raised a brow. "Why?"

"Two reasons. First, I'm getting stretched a bit too thin maintaining both covers. Sengoku is going to retire soon, and plans to have Aokiji replace him. When that happens, I'm going to be promoted to the Admiral's seat to replace Aokiji. This is an opportunity that we cannot pass up, as the Admirals are privy to a host of information restricted to the Vice Admirals.

"Second, some of the more perceptive Shichibukai are already beginning to suspect my impersonation of Gekko Moriah. While I can replicate his shadow techniques to some extent, my cover may have already been compromised, if Doflamingo's actions at our last meeting were anything to go by."

"So you want me to take over Moriah's henge?" Temari questioned uncertainly, easily seeing the holes in the plan. While Shikamaru had his Nara shadow techniques to help him maintain his cover, she would have to rely almost entirely on genjutsu if a fight ever broke out. She was better than most at the subtle art, but genjutsu was far from being her specialty.

"No. Moriah's identity has already roused enough suspicion. It's time we abandoned that cover altogether."

"Ah. So you want me to fake Moria's death and take over his spot in the Shichibukai? Should I assume a new identity?"

The lazy genius thought for a while, but ultimately shook his head. "The Marines already have you marked as Public Enemy Number Three, that alone should be enough to warrant you a spot among the Shichibukai. Crafting an entirely new personality would only create more suspicion. As long as you can prove you're willing to play nice, there shouldn't be a problem."

"Hmm… I suppose we can stage Moriah's betrayal, and I can 'dispose' of him as a peace offering for the Marines."

Shikamaru nodded his agreement. "With your new status as a Shichibukai, you should have much greater freedom of movement. The Marines will still try to keep an eye on you, of course, but they shouldn't be able to interfere with your actions unless it directly threatens the safety of the World Government. You can track down Gaara without having the Marines slowing you down at every turn."

Turning to Hinata, Shikamaru moved on. "There's something important I need you to do. I need you to use your cover as Saint Shalulia to pay a visit to Dr. Vegapunk."

Hinata's brows furrowed. "What for?"

"I've got some new intel on Naruto." Ignoring Hinata's shocked gasp, Shikamaru quickly continued, "According to the first half of _Project Orange _that I've managed to decode, Naruto has been under Vegapunk's authority for the past year."

Temari frowned, helping to steady the Hyuuga girl who suddenly seemed unable to hold herself together much less speak coherently. "What does Vegapunk want with Naruto?"

"Apparently he's been trying to weaponize the Kyuubi's chakra." The shadow user spat out distastefully.

Temari felt her blood boil. The last thing they needed was another Akatsuki. "How the hell did they find out about the Kyuubi? No one here knows about the bijuus' existence."

Shikamaru rubbed his temples. "He doesn't know about the Kyuubi, per se, but they've stumbled upon the destructive potential of the bijuu's power after Naruto lost control and nearly leveled their base two years ago."

Hinata listened to Shikamaru and Temari's conversation in a daze. She couldn't help but think how even in a land where no one knew of the Kyuubi's existence, there still existed people who wanted to exploit Naruto's power. Her heart went out to the blonde who'd encouraged her in her darkest times, and Hinata slowly felt her worry turn to anger as she imagined all the pain Naruto must have endured for two years, all because a mad scientist wanted power.

Steeling herself to remain strong for Naruto's sake, Hinata pulled herself together. "Is Naruto-kun being held at Vegapunk's facility?"

Shikamaru took in the determined look on the normally timid girl's face, and answered with a frustrated sigh. "I don't know. You'll need to find out."

"Okay." Hinata took in a deep breath. She could do this. She would get Naruto out if it were the last thing she did. "So I demand to visit Vegapunk's facility. Ask to see his research. Under the guise of… checking up on what my money is funding?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, that could work."

"Don't be overly obvious," Temari advised, "remember your status." She knew how clouded one's judgment could become when the safety of one's loved ones were at stake. The Hyuuga's distress was obvious, and it was actually quite a feat to see how calm she remained, considering her huge crush on the blonde jinchuriki. She wasn't sure if she could have remained as calm and collected had Gaara been the one in Naruto's position.

"The purpose of your visit is to gather intel only," Shikamaru stressed. "Floor plans, research notes, whatever you can find. You should be able to confirm Naruto's presence with your Byakugan, but don't place too much hope in finding him there. Vegapunk has many research facilities, and has also been known to conduct his experiments in faraway prisons."

Hinata nodded her understanding. A lot was riding on her, and she would not disappoint.

"I do have a piece of good news, though," Shikamaru offered. "I think I may have finally found Sakura."

That _was_ good news. They could seriously use the medic's help. "You've made contact?" Temari asked.

"Not yet. But take a look at this." Shikamaru held up a wanted poster, and Hinata instantly recognized the code.

"_Long live the will of fire…._" Hinata translated, and felt her spirits lift for the first time since her victory over the abolishment of slavery. "Well, at least we've found one member of Team Seven."

"And would you look at that," Temari remarked dryly, "She's already on the Marine's radar as Public Enemy Number Four."

_Goes to show how troublesome you women are, _Shikamaru thought wryly, but didn't dare voice his thought out loud. Instead, he briefed the two on his plans.

"According to the Marines' latest reports, Sakura has recently entered the Grand Line and is travelling with a crew who calls themselves the Straw Hat Pirates. Thankfully, Sengoku just gave me the perfect excuse to travel to one of the countries at very beginning of the Grand Line."

"Alabasta." Hinata spoke up quietly, recalling the Fleet Admiral's words before he'd left Shikamaru to his own devices.

Shikamaru shot her a surprised look, but didn't ask how she knew. "Yes. Troubling reports from the area has led him to suspect one of the Shichibukai, Crocodile, to be planning something in Alabasta. What exactly, we don't know. I was asked to pay the desert country a visit to keep things under control."

"So you track down Sakura while you're there…." Temari echoed. "What's the plan after?"

Shikamaru snuffed out his cigarette and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Depending on what Hinata finds out, we'll reconvene with Sakura and plan a rescue for Naruto. I've also learned something potentially very troublesome from my meeting with one of the Gorosei this morning, but I'd like to dig a bit deeper before I run it by you. We'll communicate via the scrolls as usual."

The other two nodded their agreement, then simultaneously 'poof'ed out of existence.

* * *

"My real identity?" Nefertari Vivi froze, eyes widening at the simple question. Could her cover have been blown already?!

Sakura eyed her dramatic reaction with suspicion. "Well, yeah. No parent would name their kid Ms. Wednesday or Mr. Nine, no matter how much they hate them."

Letting out a breath of relief, Vivi turned away from the Leaf nin's scrutinizing gaze and addressed the Straw Hat captain instead. "Look, all we're wanted was to secure some food for our hometown. We have nothing to do with the two who'd passed by—we'll even take you to the inn those two stayed at to prove it to you!"

While Sakura and the rest of the crew contemplated the possibility of a trap, Luffy asked a simple question, "Will there be meat at the inn?"

The other Straw Hats face-palmed at their captain's one-track mind, but before they could interject, Luffy had already made up his mind.

"Alright! You two are going to take us to your hometown, feed us all the meat we want, and if we find even a _shred_ of proof linking you to the duo who blew up Laboon, we're going to beat you up for lying to us!"

Vivi and Mr. Nine gulped at the Straw Hat boy's innocent yet foreboding declaration, and nodded furiously in agreement.

"Where is your hometown anyway?" Nami sighed in defeat, recognizing the resolute look in Luffy's eyes.

"Whiskey Peak." Vivi answered. Gesturing to her pack in the corner with her head, she continued, "There's a Log Pose in there. If you follow it, it will take you there."

As Nami toyed with the Log Pose, Luffy got up to the newly fixed mast and in an impressive show of strength, tore it off completely. Ignoring Usopp's outraged yells of "Idiot! What are you doing!", Luffy rushed at Laboon with purpose in his eyes.

"Look, you stupid whale!" Luffy shouted in between punches. "Your friends may have abandoned you, but our fight is not over yet! So don't you dare die until we've traveled around the Grand Line and I come back to finish our match!"

Despite the fact that Laboon was a whale and should not be able to display human emotion, everyone could see a spark of _something _reignite in the whale's eye at Luffy's words. With a loud wail, Laboon ignored his injuries and surfaced above the water for the first time in months.

_He's sparked the will to live inside Laboon again, _Sakura mused, watching with a faint smile as her captain proceeded to paint a bastardized version of their flag symbol on Laboon's head. _He really is quite something.  
_

Leaving Luffy to continue his disastrous painting, Sakura approached Nami instead, who was at the helm learning the basics of Grand Line navigation from Crocus.

"Each island in the Grand Line has a unique magnetic field," Crocus was explaining. "The Log Pose saves the magnetic field that attracts one island to the next, and thus guides us to the next destination. From here, you can undertake one of seven magnetic fields, all of which will take you to the last island in the Grand Line, Raftel."

"Raftel?" Nami asked, "If that's the final destination in the Grand Line, that must be where One Piece lies, ne?"

Crocus nodded in confirmation. "Gol D. Roger and his crew were the only ones to ever reach Raftel. Many have tried since, but none have succeeded. The perils that exist between here and Raftel have claimed many lives."

"You seem to know a lot about the Grand Line, Crocus-san," Sakura pointed out, "far more than any normal doctor should. Judging from your age and the way you talk, I would even venture a guess and say that you have _personally_ travelled to the legendary Raftel, perhaps as part of Roger's crew?"

Crocus stared at her for a while, before erupting in a loud guffaw of laughter. "You're a perceptive one, aren't you?"

"Wow, oji-san!" Luffy's eyes were as wide as saucers. "You were part of Gol D. Roger's crew?"

"Don't go thinking you'll be getting any hints from me now, kid!" Crocus clapped him good-naturedly on the back. "If you want Roger's treasure, you'll have to earn it!"

"Che," Luffy grinned, "like I'd need it. We'll reach Raftel with or without your help!"

Cracking a smile at the straw hat boy's optimism, Sakura turned to Crocus once more and asked curiously, "How'd you guys know Raftel was the last island?"

"Simple," the other doctor answered, grabbing a piece of the Sea King meat Sanji had cooked up before Luffy have the chance to inhale it all. "Our Log Pose never finished setting. We could see signs of another land mass beyond Raftel, but our Log Pose never finished setting, even after twenty years."

"If you could see the land mass beyond," Sakura frowned, "why not just navigate by sight?"

Crocus shrugged. "We tried. But no matter how long we sailed, no matter how close it looked like we were getting, the next island was always beyond our reach. Eventually we'd just chalked it up to our paranoia and left."

_That sounds like a powerful genjutsu barrier,_ Sakura mused to herself, chewing thoughtfully on Sanji's delicious meal. _Actually, it sounds a lot like the barriers Tsunade-shishou told me about that hid the Elemental Nations from the Outside. But that doesn't explain why the Roger Pirates' Log Pose never finished setting… Genjutsu affected the mind, not magnetic fields… _

Getting to her feet as she moved to help Usopp fix the _Going Merry's_ twice broken mast, Sakura wondered quietly to herself.

_Could her home lie at the end of the Grand Line?_

It was a long shot, but what other leads did she have?

* * *

(semi-serious omake)

Hundreds of miles away, aboard the Whitebeard Pirate's flagship, Sabaku no Temari paused mid-sentence as a wealth of information suddenly came rushing back from her clone's dismissal. Steadying herself on the rails as she slowly digested the information, she couldn't help but feel like her clone had left out a crucial piece of information.

"Temari-san?" Marco waved a hand in front of the blonde's unseeing face. "Are you alright?"

Snapping her attention back to the first division captain, Temari waved off his concern and suddenly remembered what her clone had neglected to mention.

"Marco-san," she asked slowly, "where did you say my brother was last spotted?"

The Zoan-user raised a brow at the question. Weren't they just discussing this? The girl usually never missed a detail.

"Well," he drawled lazily, "when Ace came by asking for Teach's whereabouts, the traitor was last spotted in Alabasta. Since Gaara-san's travelling with Ace, I would start looking in Alabasta."

"Ah. And Alabasta's a _desert_ country, if I remember correctly?"

"Yup, nothing but sand for as far as the eye can see." Eying the girl's sudden pallor, Marco questioned curiously, "Bad memories with desert countries?"

"No," Temari responded cheerily, "…but let's just say that if the Gaara travelling with Ace is in fact the real deal, my boyfriend is going to be in for quite a surprise when he finally arrives in Alabasta."

* * *

**A/N**: And the truth finally comes out! Or part of it, at least. Let me know which parts you liked, and which parts you didn't!

Random Musings:

-Lots of Shika-Temari-Hinata screentime this chapter. So Hinata's off to pay Vegapunk a visit, Temari's off to find Gaara who's traveling with Ace, and Shika's off to contain the Crocodile situation and make contact with Sakura. I personally can't wait to finally get to the part where everyone gets together and the shit finally hits the fan, but there's so much in between I need to cover first.

-I tried my hand at hinted romance this chapter with Shika/Temari, hopefully it wasn't too painful to read haha.

-Sakura is suspicious of Vivi, but no she hasn't figured out her real identity. She's perceptive, but doesn't know enough of the situation in Alabasta to make the connection.

-Hopefully the explanation with Laboon and the clay bombs was satisfactory. I haven't revealed their motives yet, but expect to see Edo!Deidara and Edo!Sasori in action at some point.

-Most of the truth about the Void Century has come out, the only mystery left is how the poneglyphs fit in. Anyone care to venture a guess?

-Since I've pretty much wrapped up Shika-Temari-Hinata's behind-the-scenes screentime, they probably won't show up again until their storylines become relevant again in the Straw Hats' journey. Except maybe Hinata, since I'm looking forward to writing her encounter with Vegapunk and more progress needs to be made on the Naruto front.

-Speaking of which, I've neglected my favorite blonde knucklehead for far too long. Next chapter's main alt-focus will probably be Naruto.

Remember to read and review!


	17. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Thanks so much guys for helping me reach 700 reviews, 600 favs, 700 follows, and almost 100,000 views! I never thought the fic would go so far and get such an amazing response.

First chapter covering all three members of Team 7. Enjoy!

* * *

_**Remnants of a Shinobi's Fire**_

_**Chapter 13: Unexpected Visitors**_

* * *

Cerulean eyes blinked open, expertly piercing through the dense darkness that surrounded him.

He could feel the hum of energy pulsating in the heavy bindings around his hands and feet, trying—and failing—to contain his power. Walls of seastone meters thick surrounded him on all sides, a formidable setup by any means for even the most fearsome pirates. Yet for him, it was but a feeble replacement for the ice prison he'd been held in up until a year ago. To the Marines' credit, the sheer amount of seastone in this cell would've been more than enough to devoid any normal Fruit user of all their energy, and perhaps even reduce them to a dreamless coma.

Not him, however. No, to Uzumaki Naruto, not only did the seastone bindings not weaken his chakra in the slightest, they actually gave him a means of strengthening his power.

After all, seastone, at its core, was merely an object imbued with the essence of the sea—the sea's energy solidified, so to speak. For one who had mastered the sage arts, seastone provided a source of pure, condensed natural energy—the combined energy of every single being that lived in the ocean's depths.

And so, deep in the cells of Impel Down, Konoha's number one most unpredictable ninja drew on the power of the very chains that were meant to weaken him, and struggled to maintain the perfect balance between spiritual, physical, and natural energy to keep his inner passenger under control.

Closing his eyes in concentration, Naruto descended into the familiar corridors of his mindscape and reinforced the metaphorical bars around the Kyuubi's cage with senjutsu chakra, ignoring the glowering red eyes glaring menacingly back at him.

When he had first awakened a year ago from his drug-induced coma in Admiral Aokiji's ice prison, Naruto had immediately noticed the return of the familiar burn of the Kyuubi's chakra. After months of wandering in and out of his mindscape searching for remnants of the demon's presence, the former jinchuriki had been pleasantly surprised to suddenly rediscover traces of the fox's chakra.

Having the Kyuubi back inside him once again, after all, meant that Madara and the Akatsuki must have failed to extract the demon from his body two years ago, and thus could not have possibly succeeded in their plan to enact the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Or so he'd thought.

The Kyuubi's chakra had returned to him slowly and gradually, and Naruto had never been the most observant ninja, so when he had first felt the traces of the Kyuubi's return he had been too caught up in his excitement to notice that the menacing red chakra was no longer confined to its former cage.

When he'd finally realized that his seal was gone, the only explanation he could come up with was that it must have been forcibly torn apart during the extraction process that did, in fact, happen. Naruto didn't know how he had survived (perhaps the Uzumaki longevity he'd inherited from his mother's side saved him) or whether the Kyuubi had been ripped from him to create the Juubi (which begged the question of how it had returned to him a year later) or whether Madara had been able to enact the Infinite Tsukuyomi with only partial Kyuubi chakra, but between the barrage of questions he didn't have answers to and the sluggish state his mind was in, Naruto didn't recognize the Kyuubi's subtle attempt at gaining control until he had already broken through Aokiji's ice prison and was plowing through the swarm of Marines outside like they were butter.

He'd realized too late, and his mistake had nearly cost him to lose control completely and flatten Marineford for the second time.

Fortunately, the upper echelons of the Marines were not completely useless and had been prepared for Naruto's escape attempt. The combined forces of Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Admiral Aokiji had been enough to subdue the half-Kyuubified Naruto long enough to wrap him in seastone bindings from head to toe. A half-second reprieve was all Naruto needed to draw upon the natural energy of the seastone, and force the Kyuubi back into a makeshift senjutsu cage in his mindscape.

Realizing that he could not possibly allow himself to escape least he lose control again and hurt countless innocents, Naruto had pretended to be restrained by the seastone's power, and allowed himself to be dragged back to the cell he currently occupied, reinforced with enough seastone to reduce a normal fruit user to a state of unconsciousness.

In the year that followed, Naruto had been mostly left alone in his dark prison, with the sole exception of the odd man in the white lab coat who came to take tests and samples once a month. The prison warden and one of the three Marine Admirals always accompanied this Dr. Vegapunk on his trips, and Naruto merely kept a tight lid on his chakra whenever the man came by, opting to feign unconsciousness and observe them instead. It was, after all, a simple task for him to use a bit of the Kyuubi's corrosive chakra to nullify the drugs he had been given once the trio had left.

A year of being confined in this seemingly impenetrable prison had given Naruto a pretty good idea of its inner workings, and he was confident he could sneak out undetected were he so inclined. Security was surprisingly scarce on the deepest level of Impel Down, with most of the prisoners on level 6 deemed too dangerous for the guards to handle. In fact, the Warden was the only one with the official authority to come down here anymore, and Magellan took way too much comfort in the effectiveness of his seastone cuffs and poisons.

No, the problem laid not in his capacity to escape, but in his capacity to control himself once he did escape. Constantly restricting the Kyuubi with the perfect balance of senjutsu chakra took a tremendous strain on Naruto's mind and concentration, and the fact that he was quite literally drowning in natural energy from his seastone surroundings had helped tremendously in negating the Kyuubi's power. Once out, however, did he have enough faith in his control to maintain this balance without a ready source of pure, condensed natural energy?

_I can't risk it,_ the blonde decided with a mental sigh. _I can't risk the lives of thousands of innocent people for my own selfishness._

No, he'll have to keep working on a new seal. Without a working seal, he simply cannot allow himself to escape. For months now he had been trying to remember what little Jiraiya had taught him about the intricate art of sealing, and he had finally begun to make some headway in his experiments. His seal would never be as elegant or effective as his old man's had been, but even a severely bastardized version of the Fourth's Eight Trigrams Seal would go a long way in helping keep the Kyuubi in check.

Focusing once more in his mindscape, Naruto drew his latest experimental design with chakra, and applied it to the Kyuubi's blood red fur. The ferocious beast sneered, then with a casual swing of one of its tails, easily knocked Naruto fifty feet back in his own mindscape.

"Damn it," the blonde swore in frustration, and took a few calming breathes to right his internal balance. "You stupid fox, why can't you just cooperate for once, dattebayo! I'm running out of time—Sakura-chan is out there somewhere and I'm sick of staying in this hellhole!"

"Talking to yourself again?" A malicious voice drifted over from the opposite end of the prison block. "They say that's the first sign of insanity. I wonder, were you already insane when Vegapunk got his hands on you, or did that come after?"

Naruto scowled and shot a glare at the cell at the very end of the corridor. There was only one other cell occupied in his entire block, and while he couldn't see the prisoner's face, it was someone he was all too familiar with.

"Che, mind your own business, creepy oyaji." Naruto muttered, turning back to the rough designs he'd drawn on the floor. As he debated whether he wanted to add another dimension to the seal to enhance stability, the other prisoner's sarcastic drawl drifted over once more, interrupting his thought process.

"Oh, that's _rich. _Vegapunk's number one freak-show calling _me_ creepy."

"Yeah?" Naruto retorted, giving up on getting any work done once it had become apparent the other guy wasn't going to leave him alone. "What else would you call someone who'd killed _hundreds_ of his own subordinates for fun?"

"I was doing them a favor." The faraway voice answered easily, not a hint of regret in his tone. "Those prisoners were scum anyway, no one would have missed their existence. I would have gotten away with all those killings too if I hadn't attempted to touch Vegapunk's little _pet project. _What's so special about you anyway?"

"You tried to kill me without even knowing my 'crime'? Guess you really are as ignorant as you look."

A wave of killing intent washed over the desolate corridor, and Naruto was mildly impressed with the intensity of the other man's bloodlust. Shiliew of the Rain had gained a rather infamous reputation as Impel Down's harshest and most violent Head Jailer, known for heavily abusing his position to kill hundreds of prisoners for his own pleasure. Magellan had put up with it for a while, until one day the blonde shinobi had been transported to Impel Down, and Shiliew had made an attempt on his life.

Smirking slightly as he recalled the way Vegapunk and the Marine higher-ups had flipped their shit over the incident, Naruto grinned as he regarded the man held at the opposite end of the prison block. He couldn't see him, but he could smell him. Judging by the poignant smell from his general area, Naruto knew the walls hadn't been cleaned of blood in months. Even more so than Naruto, Shiliew was the one responsible for the absence of guards at their level, for the last platoon who had dared to venture close enough had paid for it with their lives.

"Watch it brat," Shiliew sneered, eying the deceptively harmless-looking blonde menace in the other cell with a mix of disdain and curiosity. "One day I'm going to break out of this shithole and wring your little neck."

"Whatever you say, old man," Naruto waved him off. "I'll be happy to give you another beating. Maybe this time I'll even be able to beat some common sense into you—like, I dunno, '_killing people for no reason is bad._'"

Shiliew muttered some threat or another, but Naruto ignored him, refocusing on his seal designs. Barely a minute had passed before he was rudely interrupted from his work once again, this time by a large _snip!_ that reverberated throughout the walls of his cell. A perfect circle suddenly opened up in the middle of his ceiling, unfurling like paper to form a makeshift staircase.

"Oh ho! Look what we've found, Inazuma-boy! This must be the rumored Level 6!"

Curious to see who would willingly venture into this hell, Naruto hastily scattered his designs on the floor and looked up from his sitting position. His keen senses had picked up two distinct sets of footsteps, and whoever the two were, they were most definitely not guards. Prisoners from the upper level, perhaps?

_If so, this place ain't exactly the best vacation spot,_ the blonde thought wryly to himself, easing into a defensive stance just in case.

Once the two had descended down the staircase and revealed themselves fully, Naruto couldn't help but gap at their ridiculous appearances. He didn't think it was possible, but he'd finally found an outfit that surpassed Lee's skintight green jumpsuits in cringe-worthiness!

"And oh look, there's the Naruto-boy Dragon told us about!"

At the purple-haired okama's words, Naruto finally got over his shock and hastily casted a discrete silencing jutsu over his cell to prevent Shiliew from listening in. Turning to his unexpected visitors with narrowed eyes, he questioned with a curious tilt of his head.

"Who the hell are you people, and how do you know my name?"

* * *

Viridian eyes watched the suspicious whispering duo at the far side of the deck, gaze unflinching as she calmly sipped her tea.

The blue-haired woman known as Ms. Wednesday glanced back at her nervously, and Sakura responded with a cheerful wave, causing the girl to snap back to her partner and whisper something frantically.

At Luffy's insistence, the two whale-hunters had been untied and allowed to wander freely around the ship. According to Nami, they won't reach Whiskey Peak until late afternoon, leaving Sakura plenty of time to observe their two guests.

Channeling chakra to her ears, the pink-haired nin was able to catch snippets of the two's conversations all the way from the opposite end of the deck. Sadly, her information network around these parts was close to non-existent, and so Sakura had little idea what any of the terms the two had referenced meant.

Nonetheless, the duo was definitely suspicious. It was painfully obvious judging from their body language that they were hiding something, the blue-haired woman more so than her pompous partner. _Well_, the pinkette thought to herself, _at least they were smart enough to speak in code._

So far she'd caught mentions of something unlucky, a Miss All Sunday, an Igarappoi, and works from the Baroque era? Doubting she'll be able to get a straight answer if she just confronted them directly, Sakura wondered whether she should simply allow things to play out for a while before taking action. Back in Konoha, they would have simply handed the two off to Ibiki to work his magic, but Sakura doubted Luffy would permit the use of any of Ibiki's interrogation techniques aboard his ship.

For now, she would simply stay alert and observe, Sakura decided. There was no point in blowing things out of proportion if whatever the two were hiding didn't directly involve them. They would check out this Whiskey Peak, and barring any suspicious findings, simply move on to the next island. Time was of the essence, after all.

An uneventful hour passed, and just when she was about to write off her suspicions and join Nami at the helm, Ms. Wednesday let out a surprised yelp as a large eagle suddenly swooped down overhead, lifting Mr. 9 clean off the boat into the skies.

"The Unluckies!" Ms. Wednesday cried, rushing to the rails in time to see her partner get dropped into the ocean. "They've come to punish us for failing our mission to kill Laboon!"

As the unlucky pair came back for Vivi, Sanji suddenly sprang forth with a battle cry and launched one of his signature kicks at the flying eagle. "I won't let you little shits harm the beautiful Ms. Wednesday!" he yelled, clipping one of the eagle's wings and sending it crashing down to the Merry's deck.

Sakura watched curiously as she took in the two animals' appearances. The eagle had a pair of machine guns strapped to its back, while the otter was equipped with various weapons of all sizes. As strange as the two's appearance was, however, it was their behavior that really caught Sakura's attention.

The otter was making _hand signals _to the eagle. In code—code only taught to _shinobi summons_.

And just as she'd suspected, after the otter signaled '_report back first' _to its partner, the eagle instantly disappeared with a familiar dispersion of smoke and chakra.

Ignoring the Straw Hats' exclamations of surprise, Sakura rushed the small otter and quickly slammed an anti-dispel seal on its back, preventing it from dismissing itself.

Eying the newly tied-up otter with renewed interest, the former Leaf nin shot an inquiring look at Ms. Wednesday, and closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, pulling a kunai to her throat.

"You," she addressed the blue-haired agent with deadly calm, "better have a damn good explanation for how your organization got a hold of two shinobi summons."

* * *

Crimson Sharingan eyes observed the long-abandoned family shrine in the distance, taking a moment to indulge in the wicked fallacy before dispelling the illusion hiding the real Konohagakure from view.

Lush green forests and the majestic Hokage mountain instantly gave way to crumbled ruins and blackened, charred buildings. The black flames of Amaterasu still released acrid plumes of smoke high up in the air, and the long decomposed skeletons of countless shinobi and civilians littered the grounds in front of the former Hokage tower, the morbid centerpiece to commemorate Konoha's ruin.

Unlike the other Hidden Villages that had been left structurally intact for the most part, Madara had made sure to raze Konoha to the ground. His Infinite Tsukuyomi had started its purge in the Hidden Cloud, and then spread across the Land of Lightning into the Land of Earth and the Land of Water. The Land of Wind had been the next to fall, and the Land of Fire had been saved for last.

Sasuke took automatic steps toward where the Uchiha compound had used to exist, gazing with unfocused eyes into the dark. The morbid sights no longer affected him—perhaps he'd gone a little insane over the years, he mused. He had, after all, simply stood by and watched as the slaughter unfolded. At the time, he'd even relished in watching the village that had betrayed him burn.

Now, almost nine hundred years later in a world that never moves forward, the memory of what he'd almost become made him sick to his core. But like the elite shinobi he was, Sasuke shoved the memory to the back of his mind and concentrated on the here and the now. _Not all was lost_, he reminded himself. There was still a chance of salvaging Madara's apocalystic mess.

He just needed to decipher the last piece of the puzzle hidden beneath what was once the old Uchiha Naka Shrine. And so Sasuke focused, even as the sight of his family's last heirloom left him with inexplicable tremors and a constant nausea churning in his gut.

Bypassing the various genjutsu traps around the entrance had been easy. Even the advanced illusions put in place by Madara himself had become inconsequential under the gaze of his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

The Sharingan was a gift, he had been told in his childhood. A gift that will raise the Uchiha above the limited capacity of all other shinobi. A gift that will push past boundaries and bring the clan to its true potential.

Only those who'd mastered it in its entirety had been able to see it for what it truly was.

A curse.

The Sharingan had granted him power, but it had also led him down a path of irreversible hatred. It had allowed him to accomplish his goal of attaining revenge on his brother for the massacre of his family, but it had also led him down a path of lifelong regret. It had protected him from falling victim to Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi, but even that had driven him to near insanity by forcing him to reflect on his actions. Regardless of whether they were empowering his hunger for revenge or protecting his soul from Madara's illusion, the Sharingan would always and forever be his greatest curse.

And it would be because of precisely how _cursed_ he had become that he will finally uncover the last secret of the Uchiha clan.

Forming the requisite sequence of seals, Sasuke removed the stone slab that laid atop the entrance way. Descending down to the hidden lower level, Sasuke noted with no small amount of irony that the last remaining remnant of the original Konohagakure was none other than the Uchiha clan's secret meeting place.

At the far side of the hall, the ancient Uchiha tablet called out to him. He could almost _hear_ the whispered promises, offering the pinnacle techniques of his bloodline, the story of the Sage of the Six Paths, and the secret to restraining the Ten-Tails' power.

Sasuke focused on the tablet, past the passages on how to attain the Eternal Mangeyo Sharingan, on the portion of the tablet that he'd failed to decipher thus far. His eyes flickered between red and black, wide and endlessly staring, watching, pleading, gaze unblinking as he willed his eyes to do more. To see more.

To be more.

Images from his life's battles flashed before his eyes, and Sasuke pushed past his hate-filled memories and focused on his feelings of regret, the almost suffocating need to make amends and right things. When he'd opened his eyes again, red irises and a distorted, jagged pupil shifted into existence, and suddenly he could _see_.

Characters on the previously blank slate danced across the stone, and something akin to marvel glazed over Sasuke's eyes. This was it—the last passage of the Uchiha tablet.

The secret of Princess Kaguya and the Shinju—the God Tree that, as he would later discover, served as the birthplace of chakra and Devil Fruits alike.

* * *

"Oho!" The outrageously dressed okama gestured wildly to his associate, "Naruto-boy doesn't seem to be expecting us, Inazuma-chan!"

"Uh," the blonde jinchuriki interrupted, pointing to the okama's fallen companion. "Your friend just lost consciousness a minute ago. Guess not everyone can withstand the pressure of so much seastone."

The okama queen whipped around, and upon seeing Inazuma's fallen figure, suddenly felt the full force of the surrounding seastone's effects. The energy immediately drained out of him despite him not being in direct contact with any of the stuff, and Ivankov turned to regard Naruto with surprise.

"How are you still standing, Naruto-boy?" he asked, knees shaking, "I'm barely able to stand just from feeling the effects of the four surrounding walls, yet you look perfectly fine despite being wrapped in seastone chains!"

Naruto shrugged, and lied smoothly. "I guess I built up a high tolerance for the stuff." Strangely enough, the okama seemed to have only felt the effects of the seastone after Naruto had pointed it out. _A weirdo through and through, _the blonde thought to himself. Deciding to steer the conversation back on track, he repeated his original question, "You didn't answer me. Who are you and how do you know my name?"

Despite his supposed exhaustion, Ivankov still managed to strike a pose, and exclaimed proudly, "I am Emporio Ivankov, King of Newkama Land, former Queen of Kamabakka Kingdom, and Miracle Worker! Whether you want to live as a man, a woman, or an okama, I can help you transcend the border!"

"Eh…" Naruto scratched his head. "That's… interesting, but I'm not interested. I have my own variation anyway."

"Oh? This I must see!" Ivankov towered over Naruto, and gripped his shoulders excitedly. "You must show me, Naruto-boy!"

Backing away in alarm as the okama's disproportionately large face suddenly invaded his personal space, Naruto pushed Ivankov's hands off of him and crossed his arms. "Stop trying to change the topic. Tell me why you're here first, then we can talk."

"Alright, Naruto-boy," Ivankov winked mysteriously, and Naruto tried not to cringe as he dodged the wink. "Let's get down to business. Officially, I am the leader of a group of Level 5 prisoners who have found reprieve in Paradise, also known as Newkama Land in Level 5.5. Inazuma-chan and I were merely fooling around when we accidentally stumbled into your cell."

Naruto raised a brow. "And unofficially?"

Ivankov smirked. "On behalf of Monkey D. Dragon and the Revolutionary Army, we're here to break you out of Impel Down."

* * *

Perspiration beaded on her forehead, and Nefertari Vivi swallowed nervously, eying the small blade poised at her jugular with apprehension. She had known the pink-haired woman was suspicious of her from the beginning, but she didn't think the crazy chick would actually pull a knife on her! She had a kingdom to save, damn it! She didn't have time to deal with this nonsense. What the heck was a 'shinobi summon' anyway?

"What's going on?" The commotion had drawn Luffy, Nami, and Usopp's attention from the front of the ship. "Why is Sakura holding a knife to Ms. Wednesday's throat? I thought we'd all agreed to play nice until we get to Whiskey Peak."

Sakura ignored the crew's confused looks and focused the entirety of her attention on Vivi. No one dared to make a move to stop her for fear that she would harm Ms. Wednesday, but there was no real killing intent behind her actions. She just wanted to scare the other woman a little and get the truth.

"Don't make me repeat the question," Sakura sneered with feigned malice. "Why do you guys have shinobi summons working for you? Who are you working for?"

"I don't even know what a 'shinobi summon' is!" the other woman stammered, waving her hands in the air. "Those two—the Unluckies—that was Mr. 13 and Miss Friday! We're all agents of Baroque Works!"

"Baroque Works?" Zoro frowned. "The crime syndicate?"

"Don't be stupid, you shitty marimo," Sanji came to Vivi's defense before she could reply. "There's no way someone as beautiful as Miss Wednesday could work for a criminal organization."

"Baroque Works is not a criminal organization!" Vivi protested weakly. _Not on the surface, anyway,_ she added inwardly. "We're basically bounty hunters. Everyone is working to build an ideal nation, and those who perform well in their missions will be granted a higher social status once the nation is built."

"Regardless," Sakura interrupted, "that doesn't answer my question. Mr. 13 and Miss Friday, as you referred to them, are both summons—animals with whom shinobi have signed a blood contract. Their presence here indicates the involvement of at least two shinobi in your organization. I need their names."

Vivi sighed exasperatedly. She was merely a Frontier Agent, why do they assume she knew everything? "Whoever you're looking for," she began anxiously, "I can assure you I don't know their names! All I know is that the Unluckies serve as Baroque Work's outside surveillance and answer to a pair of 'consultants' for the leader—we only know them as the All Seer and Lady Luck. Everyone in Baroque Works operates under a code name, so no one actually knows anyone else's real identity."

"How convenient," the Leaf nin muttered, by didn't let Vivi off the hook. "You can start by giving us your real name then. Tell us everything you know about your organization."

Vivi bit her lip, torn in her indecision. She couldn't tell them the true reason she was working for Baroque Works, but she had a feeling the crazy person holding her at knifepoint would know somehow if she lied… and she certainly can't save Alabasta if she was dead. From the other chick's tone, it didn't seem like she and the Unluckies' superiors were on friendly terms. Seeing no other choice, Vivi decided to take a leap of faith and hoped these Straw Hats have no reason to ally themselves with the mastermind planning her country's downfall.

"My name is Nefertari Vivi," she spoke with a bravado she didn't really feel, "I'm the princess of the Alabasta Kingdom, and I've infiltrated Baroque Works to stop its leader from starting a civil war in my country."

* * *

The secrets of the Shinju and the Juubi were inscribed in traditional kanji, and Sasuke slowly committed the ancient characters to memory as he laid eyes on The Truth at last.

_Long before man had learned the concept of chakra, they had already been waging war against one another. The Shinju, long worshiped as a host of God himself, one day bore a fruit that grew only once every millennium. No one had been told the reasons behind it, but they were specifically instructed to never lay so much as a single finger on that fruit._

_Yet with the endless war and bloodshed between mankind, there was a princess who decided it was necessary for someone to attain God-like powers. _

_And so she'd went ahead and consumed the fruit. __When it was all said and done… Kaguya now had the power of God. She single-handedly ended all the conflicts that plagued the land. Thus was born the first person who wielded chakra. A child bore from her also had that power from birth._

"Otsutsuki Kaguya..." Sasuke's fingers traced the name of the one who'd started it all. He was already familiar with the gist of the tale from what Madara had told him all those years ago. According to the elder Uchiha, this was the starting point of the shinobi's curse.

_"Once man decided to consume the fruit of the gods," Madara had said, "they became cursed, destined to spiral down a path of perpetual and endless tragedy."_

Refusing to be controlled by Madara's ideals and philosophy any longer, however, Sasuke pushed his ancestor's morbid words to the back of his mind and read on.

_However, with the loss of its Mother Fruit, the God-Tree mutated, and the reminder of its budding baby fruits fell immaturely from the Shinju, scattered into the far corners of the sea. The budding fruits, absorbing the natural energy of the ocean's depths, further mutated, and some lost the original properties of the Mother Fruit. Instead, these immature baby fruits took on mystical properties of their own, although a handful retained the propensity for elemental chakra manipulation. _

_The civilians on the Outside, lacking knowledge of the Shinju and fearful of these mutated fruits' varied abilities, attributed their creation to the work of the Sea Devil, and eventually they came to be known as "Devil Fruits."_

"Interesting..." Sasuke mused to himself, absentmindedly wandering just what sort of mutated abilities these 'Devil Fruits' may grant, and whether the Shinju's premature spawn was as cursed as the Mother Fruit which granted the gift of chakra. He would have to keep an eye out for them once he leave for the Outside.

_Meanwhile, having suffered the loss of the Mother Fruit and hundreds of baby fruits, the Shinju, hell-bent on getting its chakra back, went berserk. The Shinju's desire to reclaim its stolen power caused the tree to assume a monstrous form, eventually christened as the Ten-Tails._

_The furious Ten-Tails rampaged throughout the lands until one day Princess Kaguya's son was able to defeat and seal the beast within himself. His name was Otsutsuki Hagoromo—the Founding Father of all Shinobi._

"The Sage of the Six Paths," Sasuke realized. This was what he'd come for_—_the secret behind the Sage's power._  
_

_The Sage of the Six Paths was revered as a god for the virtue of his victory, and with his knowledge of the concept of chakra, the Sage travelled the lands, spreading his ideals and religion, the Shinobi Sect known as ninjutsu._

_Upon his death, the Sage chose to entrust his strength, dream, and legacy to his two sons. The older son, who inherited his eyes, believed that power was the true key to peace. The younger son, who inherited his body, believed that love was the true key to peace. The Sage left behind two tablets for his two sons, which together detailed the history of his struggle with the Ten-Tails and the secret to controlling the Shinju's power. _

There was no doubt in Sasuke's mind that the older son, who'd inherited the Sage's 'eyes'_—_his powerful chakra and spiritual energy_—_was the precursor to the Uchiha clan, while the younger son, who'd inherited the Sage's 'body'_—_his life force and physical energy_—_was the precursor to the Senju clan. It was all becoming clear now—who knew the feud between the Uchihas and the Senjus had its roots all the way back in the Sage's legacy?

_The older son guarded the secrets to his tablet religiously, encrypting its message so that only his descendants, those who possess the necessary dojutsu, would be able to decipher its words. This is the Uchiha tablet on which this inscription lies today._

_The younger son, deeming the Sage's secrets too dangerous, decided to destroy the Senju tablet and scatter its remains across all corners of the world, sending the pieces deep into the Outside, where no one with the knowledge of chakra can exploit its power. The whereabouts of this tablet is unknown, for the Sage's chosen successor had cast a powerful barrier separating the shinobi nations from the Outside, to ensure the Sage's secrets remained hidden._

Sasuke finished reading the inscriptions and closed his eyes in thought. In order to reverse Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi, he needed to attain the power of the Sage of Six Paths. To attain the power of the Sage of Six Paths, one must piece together the secrets recorded on both the Uchiha tablet and the Senju tablet. Yet the Senju tablet was apparently scattered all throughout the world, far outside the realm of the Elemental Nations.

Well, the last Uchiha mused to himself, perhaps it was about time he'd left these ruins behind. And with that final thought, the last living soul in the Konoha ruins promptly disappeared in a swirling distortion of time and space.

* * *

**A/N:** And the Dragon and Naruto story line picks up again! Can't believe it's taken me this long to even start writing Naruto's part. And Sasuke too... guess this means he's officially in OP-world now. Juggling so many different groups of characters actually makes pacing quite difficult… I really wanted to make this a Team 7 chapter though, even as scattered as they are.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time! It's great to see all your theories—some of you were almost spot on in your predictions on how the poneglyphs and devil fruits tie back to Naruto-verse. Kudos!

Random Musings

-I'm appealing to a bit of creative license here with the use of seastone and senjutsu. In Naruto canon, the use of natural energy was always drawn from plants and stuff, but there's no reason it can't be drawn from the sea as well. So if seastone is supposed to be a solid form of the sea, then it's essentially a source of condensed natural energy. And, this may be stretching it a little, but for the sake of theoretical argument let's say if Naruto can manage to "draw out" ALL the natural energy in the seastone for senjutsu use then the seastone either disintegrates or loses its sea-like properties. Either way, it'll become useless for restraining Devil Fruit users.

-Regarding Naruto using senjutsu chakra to keep the Kyuubi in check without a seal, well here I'm drawing on the fact that senjutsu was the only thing able to damage Obito/the Ten-Tails, so Naruto was able to use it to keep Kyuubi from taking over even without a seal.

-The All Seer and Lady Luck... wonder who they are? With summons of eagles and otters… Guesses?

-I originally didn't plan to tie back Devil Fruits to the Shinju, but after Kishi made the Juubi a freaking tree I just had to. When I was reading that chapter I was literally thinking 'this could tie so well to OP-verse' haha. Since Devil Fruits are baby fruits that mutated in the ocean, Fruit users can't swim because the sea messes with that mutation. The sea (and seastone) doesn't affect shinobi because the mother fruit that chakra is derived from has never touched the ocean. Does that make sense?

-I hope it was clear that I was referring to the poneglyphs as the pieces of the Senju tablet. The existence of a Senju tablet was never confirmed in Naruto canon but imo it doesn't make sense for the Sage to give a tablet containing all his secrets to the eldest son when he chose the younger as his successor. Some of the theories floating around proposed that perhaps the younger son/ancestor to the Senju didn't create a tablet because they had no doujutsu to encrypt it, so I just modified that idea a bit.

-However, the OP poneglyphs are not merely pieces of the Senju tablet. Like Madara added the secrets of his body's location to the Uchiha tablet, there will also be additional modifications to the Senju tablet to tie in with OP-verse and what Roger's crew discovered.

Mini-rant about Naruto canon  


I finally caught up with the manga and I don't like what Kishi is doing lately at all—the power-ups are getting ridiculous and way too DBZ-like. The slow-paced Talk-no-Jutsu/fight/power-up rinse-and-repeat-formula is making me lose interest in Naruto. Personally I think Kishi should have ended it after the Pein-invasion arc. Imo, the Fourth Shinobi war arc is just bad and unrealistic and undermines all the awesome villains we had up to that point.

**So what does this mean for this fic? **

Currently my interest in One Piece as well as my nostalgia for Naruto is keeping me writing. I have the next arc mapped out in detail and I'm excited to finish it. So for the time being, this fic is safe from being discontinued. It's hard to write when canon no longer inspires you, but I will finish this, at least up until the Alabasta arc. After that, I guess it depends on whether I still have interest in the Naruto fandom at all.

Since I started this fic right after the Pein-invasion arc, I'm discounting everything that has happened thereafter in canon. Meaning I won't try to incorporate all of Naruto/Sasuke's canon power-ups at some point into the fic (which I was planning on doing originally). I'm just going to pick and choose the ones that were foreshadowed and seemed reasonable to me, as well as add some original ones that has roots in OP-verse. They'll still be the 2 strongest shinobi of their generation, just not God-level and so much above everyone else that they could pretty much solo the entire war by themselves. Rather than pure power I want to emphasize the strategic/stealth/subterfuge aspect of shinobi warfare, which, imo, Kishi barely portrayed at all.

**On that note, I have decided to rework the first four chapters, namely the ones that I'd written before my 2 year hiatus. The content is the same, so no need to reread, but hopefully the execution is improved.**

As several reviewers not-so-kindly pointed out, my early depiction of Sakura was kind of OOC. I basically just tried to elaborate on her motivations and changed some of her skill set so that her moves are more in line with the canon depiction. I suppose I did give Sakura some rather uncharacteristic jutsus/weapons for plot reasons the first time around, so the biggest change comes in chapter 3 during the Mihawk fight. If you're interested, I've added small "Edit" sections at the end of the first few chapters that summarized what changed.

**One other thing**—**I've decided to just go with the canon depiction of the Void Century as 800-900 years ago.** There was a reason why I needed it to be 300-400 years ago before, but I've reworked that plot point.

**Also, there's an additional little tidbit in Interlude 3 with Sasuke and Gaara that addresses why Sakura and co. were sent to this precise point in the future**, and it ties in with the Shinjuu myth. I've added the small section below so you guys don't have to dig through the entire chapter again.

* * *

_"If it'd truly been over 800 years since the others escaped the Elemental Nations..." Gaara frowned, "how do you know they're still alive?"_

_Sasuke wouldn't meet his eyes. How suspicious. "I have yet to work out all the mechanics of Madara's jutsu," he said slowly, "but there's a reason why the barrier between our world and the Outside is at its weakest exactly 876 years after the Infinite Tsukuyomi was casted. The only way to bypass the barrier is with a time-space jutsu like Kamui, and my guess is that even a jutsu as powerful as Kamui can only bypass the Sage of Six Path's barrier at its weakest point in time."_

_"Meaning?"_

_"Meaning when Kakashi had used his Kamui to send the others to the Outside, the jutsu had automatically found the weakest point in the barrier's time-space continuum and sent them 876 years into the future."_

_"So after enduring 876 years of Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi, we are now exactly aligned in the same time frame as those who had escaped to the Outside all those years ago..." Gaara sighed. As much as he wanted to bash the Uchiha's head in, they had bigger problems on their hands. If what he'd said was true… if Naruto and Temari were indeed out there somewhere, unable to find their way back because Madara's false reality existed in a different time… well, there was really only one solution._

* * *

So I guess one more mystery... Any mathematicians out there able to figure out the significance of 876? Considering I originally had it as 365 and the logic behind it is similar...

Remember to read and review!


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